Oral Language and Listening Comprehension Flashcards

Which of the following best describes academic language?

Answer: The specialized vocabulary and complex syntax used in school tasks, texts, and formal communication

Academic language encompasses domain-specific vocabulary, abstract concepts, complex grammatical structures, and the discourse patterns valued in educational settings and formal texts.

A kindergarten teacher reads a complex picture book aloud and asks: 'Why do you think the fox tricked the crow? Have you ever felt like the crow? What does that tell us about trust?' What level of comprehension do these questions target?

Answer: Inferential and evaluative comprehension

Inferential questions ask why (cause/motive) and evaluative questions connect to personal experience and life lessons, both going beyond literal recall of stated facts.

Which type of text structure is most commonly found in informational texts in science?

Answer: Cause-effect and compare-contrast

Science informational texts frequently use cause-effect to explain phenomena and their causes, and compare-contrast to compare organisms, processes, or conditions.

A student with strong oral language skills but poor decoding is BEST described by which reading profile?

Answer: Dyslexia profile: low decoding with adequate language comprehension

In the Simple View of Reading, a profile of low decoding with adequate or strong language comprehension is associated with dyslexia, a specific word recognition difficulty that does not reflect broader language or intellectual disability.

Which strategy MOST effectively builds academic vocabulary through oral language for English Language Learners?

Answer: Using comprehensible input with visual supports, repetition, and structured discussion

Comprehensible input with visual supports and structured discussion provides ELLs with accessible meaning-making opportunities while exposing them to academic language in context.

According to research on language comprehension development, which factor MOST strongly predicts reading comprehension in upper elementary grades?

Answer: Oral language comprehension including vocabulary, syntax, and background knowledge developed in early childhood

Research shows that oral language comprehension skills, particularly vocabulary, syntactic understanding, and background knowledge, are the strongest predictors of reading comprehension in upper elementary and beyond.