CTEL CTEL Language and Language Development 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which stage of second language acquisition is characterized by learners producing simple two- or three-word phrases and responding with short answers?
- Preproduction
- Early production (Correct answer)
- Speech emergence
- Intermediate fluency
Correct answer: Early production
The early production stage (approximately 6 months to 1 year of exposure) involves short phrases and limited vocabulary of about 1,000 words.
Question 2: When a bilingual student uses both languages within a single conversation or sentence, this is known as:
- Language attrition
- Code-switching (Correct answer)
- Diglossia
- Interlanguage
Correct answer: Code-switching
Code-switching is the practice of alternating between languages within a conversation or utterance, and it is a normal feature of bilingual communication.
Question 3: Which aspect of language involves the rules governing how sentences are structured, including word order and clause formation?
- Morphology
- Phonology
- Semantics
- Syntax (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Syntax
Syntax governs sentence structure, including word order, phrase structure, and the rules for combining words into grammatical sentences.
Question 4: Krashen's Input Hypothesis suggests that language acquisition occurs when learners are exposed to input that is:
- Identical to their current level
- Slightly beyond their current proficiency (i+1) (Correct answer)
- Far above their current proficiency
- Simplified to their current level only
Correct answer: Slightly beyond their current proficiency (i+1)
Krashen's i+1 principle holds that comprehensible input just beyond the learner's current level drives acquisition.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a pragmatic language skill?
- Correctly pronouncing the /th/ sound
- Knowing that 'bank' can mean a financial institution or a riverbank
- Understanding when to use formal vs. informal language (Correct answer)
- Adding '-ed' to form the past tense
Correct answer: Understanding when to use formal vs. informal language
Pragmatics involves understanding language use in social context, including register, politeness, and situational appropriateness.
Question 6: The critical period hypothesis suggests that full native-like language acquisition is easiest before approximately what age?
- Age 5
- Age 12 (Correct answer)
- Age 18
- Age 25
Correct answer: Age 12
Research supports that the critical period for optimal language acquisition typically ends around puberty, approximately age 12-13.
Question 7: When a student uses the word 'goed' instead of 'went,' this error demonstrates which language acquisition phenomenon?
- Language transfer
- Overgeneralization (Correct answer)
- Fossilization
- Backsliding
Correct answer: Overgeneralization
Overgeneralization occurs when learners apply a rule (like adding '-ed' for past tense) to irregular forms that do not follow the rule.
CTEL CTEL Language and Language Development 3
Which stage of second language acquisition is characterized by learners producing simple two- or three-word phrases and responding with short answers?