CTEL CTEL Second Language Acquisition Theories 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which scenario demonstrates 'positive transfer' from a student's L1 to English?
- A Spanish speaker omitting subject pronouns because Spanish allows pro-drop
- A Spanish speaker correctly using cognates like 'nation/nación' to aid reading comprehension (Correct answer)
- A Spanish speaker using Spanish word order in English sentences
- A Spanish speaker avoiding use of the subjunctive mood in English
Correct answer: A Spanish speaker correctly using cognates like 'nation/nación' to aid reading comprehension
Positive transfer occurs when L1 knowledge facilitates L2 performance; Spanish-English cognates provide a direct benefit because the shared vocabulary aids comprehension.
Question 2: Gardner and Lambert's distinction between 'integrative' and 'instrumental' motivation is most relevant to CTEL teachers because:
- Integrative motivation always produces faster acquisition than instrumental motivation
- Understanding motivation type helps teachers tailor support and build learner investment (Correct answer)
- Only instrumental motivation is addressed in California ELD standards
- Motivation type determines placement in English proficiency levels
Correct answer: Understanding motivation type helps teachers tailor support and build learner investment
While both motivation types can drive acquisition, recognizing whether a student is motivated by cultural belonging or practical goals helps teachers design more relevant and supportive instruction.
Question 3: The 'Threshold Hypothesis' proposed by Cummins suggests that bilingual students achieve cognitive advantages only when:
- They are enrolled in two-way immersion programs for at least three years
- They reach a sufficiently high level of proficiency in both languages (Correct answer)
- Their L1 and L2 are linguistically related (e.g., both Romance languages)
- They receive equal time in both languages every school day
Correct answer: They reach a sufficiently high level of proficiency in both languages
Cummins' Threshold Hypothesis proposes that cognitive benefits of bilingualism emerge only after learners reach a threshold level of competence in both languages; limited proficiency in both yields no advantage.
Question 4: A newcomer ELL student who is silent in class for several months but absorbs language before producing it is most likely experiencing:
- Selective mutism requiring a speech-language referral
- The preproduction/silent period described in Krashen's natural order (Correct answer)
- Fossilization at the earliest stage of interlanguage
- A high cognitive academic language proficiency but low BICS
Correct answer: The preproduction/silent period described in Krashen's natural order
Krashen's stages of L2 development begin with a preproduction or silent period during which learners actively comprehend input before producing output—a normal developmental phase.
Question 5: Which of the following best explains why ELLs often make more errors in formal writing than in informal speaking, contrary to what is expected?
- Written tasks activate the affective filter more strongly than oral tasks
- Students apply the Monitor too aggressively in writing, causing over-editing errors (Correct answer)
- Writing instruction is typically absent in ELD programs
- BICS skills interfere with CALP production in written contexts
Correct answer: Students apply the Monitor too aggressively in writing, causing over-editing errors
Over-reliance on the Monitor during writing can cause learners to introduce new errors by second-guessing correct intuitive forms, a phenomenon Krashen acknowledged as Monitor over-use.
Question 6: Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) applied to SLA views language development as:
- A linear progression through fixed, universal stages
- A stable system maintained by formal instruction
- A complex, nonlinear system influenced by many interacting internal and external variables (Correct answer)
- A process driven entirely by innate grammatical knowledge
Correct answer: A complex, nonlinear system influenced by many interacting internal and external variables
DST views language acquisition as an emergent, nonlinear process in which multiple factors—motivation, input, context, learner state—interact and cause variability over time.
Question 7: When designing a lesson grounded in sociocultural SLA theory, a CTEL-certified teacher would most likely:
- Provide extended silent reading to maximize comprehensible input
- Structure peer collaboration tasks where more capable peers scaffold less proficient ones (Correct answer)
- Sequence grammar rules from simple to complex before any output
- Use audiolingual drills to build automaticity before conversation
Correct answer: Structure peer collaboration tasks where more capable peers scaffold less proficient ones
Sociocultural theory emphasizes that learning occurs through social interaction, particularly when a more capable peer or adult provides scaffolding within the learner's ZPD.
CTEL CTEL Second Language Acquisition Theories 5
Which scenario demonstrates 'positive transfer' from a student's L1 to English?