ELL ELL Listening and Speaking Skills 3

Question 1

What is 'pragmatic competence' in ELL speaking development?

Accepted Answer

Knowledge of how to use language appropriately in different social and cultural contexts

Answer

Pragmatic competence involves understanding how context, relationship, and culture determine appropriate language use, such as when to be formal versus informal.

Question 2

Which factor MOST significantly affects an ELL student's listening comprehension in academic settings?

Accepted Answer

Background knowledge about the topic being discussed

Answer

Prior knowledge of the topic allows listeners to use top-down processing to predict and make sense of incoming language, greatly improving comprehension.

Question 3

What is the purpose of the 'Think-Pair-Share' strategy in ELL speaking instruction?

Accepted Answer

To give students time to think, then practice speaking with a partner before sharing with the class

Answer

Think-Pair-Share lowers ELL students' anxiety by giving them processing time and low-stakes partner practice before requiring them to speak to the whole class.

Question 4

Why is using authentic listening materials (such as real news broadcasts) beneficial for advanced ELL learners?

Accepted Answer

They expose learners to natural speech rate, intonation, and real-world vocabulary

Answer

Authentic materials expose learners to natural speech features — reduced forms, connected speech, and colloquial vocabulary — that prepare them for real-world listening.

Question 5

What does 'discourse competence' require of ELL speakers?

Accepted Answer

The ability to organize ideas coherently and use cohesive devices to connect speech

Answer

Discourse competence means knowing how to structure spoken language into coherent, cohesive units using connectors, transitions, and logical organization.

ELL - English Language Learners Practice Test

ELL - English Language Learners Practice Test

ELL ELL Listening and Speaking Skills 3