CTEL CTEL Factors in Language Development 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of 'code-switching' used as a sophisticated communicative strategy?
- A student randomly mixing languages due to insufficient vocabulary
- A bilingual student using Spanish to clarify a concept for a classmate who struggles in English (Correct answer)
- A student who cannot recall an English word defaulting to L1 out of confusion
- A student avoiding English entirely in academic settings
Correct answer: A bilingual student using Spanish to clarify a concept for a classmate who struggles in English
Code-switching for communicative purposes demonstrates metalinguistic awareness and strategic use of bilingual resources.
Question 2: The 'Threshold Hypothesis' by Cummins suggests that cognitive benefits of bilingualism occur when:
- A learner becomes dominant in one language only
- A learner achieves high proficiency in both languages (Correct answer)
- A learner's two languages are linguistically unrelated
- A learner begins L2 acquisition before age 5
Correct answer: A learner achieves high proficiency in both languages
Cummins' Threshold Hypothesis proposes that reaching high proficiency in both languages unlocks cognitive advantages of bilingualism.
Question 3: Which factor MOST distinguishes a language difference from a language disorder in an ELL student?
- The student performs below grade level in English reading
- The student shows similar difficulties in both L1 and L2 (Correct answer)
- The student exhibits an accent when speaking English
- The student requires additional time on standardized tests
Correct answer: The student shows similar difficulties in both L1 and L2
A true language disorder manifests across both languages, whereas a language difference reflects the normal process of L2 acquisition.
Question 4: A teacher uses visuals, gestures, and simplified sentence structures to make content understandable to beginning ELLs. This strategy directly applies which theoretical concept?
- Comprehensible input (i+1) (Correct answer)
- The monitor hypothesis
- Contrastive analysis
- Interlanguage theory
Correct answer: Comprehensible input (i+1)
Making content accessible through contextual supports provides comprehensible input at just above the learner's current level, per Krashen.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST represents a sociocultural factor affecting English language development?
- A student's working memory capacity
- The student's community attitudes toward English and the home language (Correct answer)
- The phonological distance between L1 and English
- A student's age of first language exposure
Correct answer: The student's community attitudes toward English and the home language
Community and family attitudes toward the target language and home language are key sociocultural factors shaping language learning motivation and identity.
Question 6: According to the Interdependence Hypothesis, academic skills learned in L1 are:
- Lost when a student transitions to English-only instruction
- Transferable to L2 academic tasks across languages (Correct answer)
- Only useful when L1 and L2 share the same writing system
- Dependent on the student's age at L2 acquisition onset
Correct answer: Transferable to L2 academic tasks across languages
Cummins' Interdependence Hypothesis holds that proficiency in L1 academic skills transfers to L2, supporting content learning in the new language.
Question 7: Which instructional approach is MOST consistent with research on factors that support English language development for ELLs?
- Prohibiting use of the home language to maximize English exposure
- Providing sheltered instruction that integrates language and content with contextual supports (Correct answer)
- Delaying content instruction until students achieve basic conversational fluency
- Grouping ELLs only with other ELLs to reduce language anxiety
Correct answer: Providing sheltered instruction that integrates language and content with contextual supports
Sheltered instruction (SIOP) integrates content and language objectives with scaffolding, reflecting research on how academic language is best developed.
CTEL CTEL Factors in Language Development 5
Which of the following is an example of 'code-switching' used as a sophisticated communicative strategy?