Practice Test GeeksELL - English Language Learners Practice Test
← All ELL Flashcard Decks

ELL Cultural Awareness and Diversity Flashcards

6 cards from real ELL practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 ELL Cultural Awareness and Diversity flashcards as text

  1. What is 'heritage language' and why should ELL programs support it?

    Answer: The home or community language an ELL student grew up with, which supports identity, family communication, and cognitive development

    Heritage languages are the home languages ELLs bring to school; supporting them strengthens family bonds, cultural identity, and cognitive flexibility, as research shows bilingualism benefits academic outcomes.

  2. What does 'stereotype threat' mean in the context of ELL students?

    Answer: The risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one's group, which can impair academic performance through anxiety

    Stereotype threat occurs when ELL students fear confirming negative stereotypes about their linguistic or cultural group, creating anxiety that can undermine academic performance.

  3. What is 'multicultural literature' and how does it benefit ELL students?

    Answer: Books and texts that reflect diverse cultures, languages, and experiences, helping ELLs see themselves in the curriculum and develop cross-cultural understanding

    Multicultural literature includes texts featuring characters and experiences from diverse cultural backgrounds, validating ELL students' identities and building all students' cross-cultural empathy and awareness.

  4. What is 'code-switching' in the context of bilingual ELL students?

    Answer: Alternating between two languages or dialects within a single conversation or utterance

    Code-switching is the natural, sophisticated practice of alternating between languages or dialects depending on context, audience, and communicative purpose, viewed by linguists as a sign of bilingual competence.

  5. How should ELL teachers respond when students use their home language in the classroom?

    Answer: Use home language strategically as a scaffold while developing English, rather than prohibiting it entirely

    Research supports strategic use of the home language as a scaffold for comprehension and concept development while English is being acquired, rather than prohibiting it as counterproductive 'English-only' policies do.

  6. What is the 'iceberg model' (Cummins) and what does it illustrate about ELL language development?

    Answer: It illustrates that surface language proficiency (BICS) is visible, while deep cognitive-academic language proficiency (CALP) underlies both languages and transfers between them

    Cummins' iceberg model shows that BICS is the visible 'tip' of language proficiency, while the deep cognitive-academic proficiency (CALP) below the surface underlies both languages and transfers across them.