Preparation Manual
Section 4: Sample Selected-Response Questions
Bilingual Education Supplemental (164)
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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam.
For each sample exam question, there is a correct answer and a rationale for each answer option. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.
Domain I—Bilingual Education
Competency 001—The beginning Bilingual Education teacher understands the foundations of Bilingual Education and the concepts of bilingualism and biculturalism and applies this knowledge to create an effective learning environment for students in the Bilingual Education program.
1. The process in which members of different cultural groups within the same society reciprocally adopt and appreciate the attitudes, values, and language patterns of each other is known as
- assimilation.
- acculturation.
- transculturation.
- ethnoconvergence.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
2. The bilingual education director for a school district meets with all the bilingual teachers and suggests that instruction should be interactive, student-centered, and anchored on the language and culture of the students’ home. Which of the following is the best rationale for the type of instruction described?
- Relating instruction to the students’ cultural backgrounds promotes academic success
- Cooperative learning improves students’ cognitive, academic, social, and affective growth
- Instruction that promotes multicultural awareness develops students’ cross-cultural competency
- Creating opportunities for students to receive instruction from fluent speakers of both students’ native language and English is directly related to student success
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
3. Given that English-language learners (ELLs) often differ in their culture and degree of English-language proficiency, which of the following types of program models would best ensure their academic success?
- Programs that concentrate on English as a second language (ESL) instruction with an emphasis on the ELLs’ quick assimilation into the school culture
- Programs that mainstream ELLs fully into grade-level classrooms in which the curricular standards are modified to their achievement level
- Programs that address the ELLs’ needs by using a standards-based program in which content is taught in a comprehensible manner
- Programs that are individualized to each ELL’s needs
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
4. In which of the following court cases did the United States Supreme Court rule that limited-English-proficient students should receive equal access to education under the Civil Rights Act?
- Castañeda v. Pickard
- Meyer v. Nebraska
- Lau v. Nichols
- Plyler v. Doe
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
5. Which of the following statements provides the best explanation for the improved academic performance that English-language learners (ELLs) experience in an additive educational program?
- The use of English (L2) as conversational language is enforced in order to acquire L2 academic language
- The exclusive use of primary language (L1) for language-arts instruction and L2 for other content instruction helps ELLs develop bilingual skills while avoiding language confusion
- The dual-language environment requires ELLs to develop stronger study skills than their peers require in monolingual L2 classes
- The continued development of ELLs’ L1 validates their L1 knowledge and facilitates the acquisition of their L2
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
6. Which of the following strategies would be most effective in creating an environment that encourages the development of biliteracy and biculturalism?
- Incorporating materials related to students’ home cultures and texts in students’ primary language throughout the curriculum
- Building opportunities for English language and literacy development across all content curriculum
- Hosting food and clothing days that feature the home cultures of students in a class and encouraging the students’ parents to participate
- Decorating the classroom with student drawings based on stories from students’ home cultures and English
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
7. An administrator wants English-language learners (ELLs) to take standardized achievement tests of basic reading skills that have been directly translated from English into the ELLs’ native languages. Which of the following best explains why that approach is likely to yield inaccurate results?
- A translated test will have slightly increased levels of validity and reliability but will not reduce student test anxiety
- Translations provide students with a better understanding of the test content but fail to reveal the full extent of students’ English-language needs
- A translated test may evaluate students’ intellectual capabilities but cannot measure students’ performance of specific skills
- Translations change the language of a test but cannot eliminate cultural differences and discrepancies caused by translations
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
8. A middle school bilingual teacher regularly includes news and magazine articles in the curriculum that focus on multinational organizations or businesses that highlight careers in which it is advantageous or essential to have knowledge of more than one language. A primary benefit of using such reading materials for English-language learners (ELLs) is that they allow ELLs to
- identify the features of different types of bilingual communities and networks.
- recognize the benefits of being bilingual and bicultural in a global society.
- promote understanding of the circumstances that may have brought their families to the United States.
- decide where they would like to live and work when they grow up.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
9. Ms. Liang’s lesson plans for her third-grade classroom include native language (L1) support for academic concepts, including vocabulary development and a basic interaction with new ideas. She wants to ensure that the English-language learners (ELLs) understand the lessons they will be studying in the upcoming week, particularly since most of the instruction is in English (L2). She continues to emphasize L2 language development throughout the day, but uses L1 to ensure that the ELLs do not fall behind in subject matter studies as they become more competent in L2. Ms. Liang’s planning indicates that she is working in which of the following special language programs?
- Self-contained English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Shared-teaching bilingual
- Transitional or early-exit bilingual
- Two-way bilingual or dual immersion
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Competency 002—The beginning Bilingual Education teacher understands processes of first- and second-language acquisition and development and applies this knowledge to promote students’ language proficiency in their first language (L1) and second language (L2).
10. A third-grade bilingual teacher, Mr. Rivas, reads aloud a procedure for a student science investigation. After reading aloud the procedure, he notices that the students are confused about how to begin their investigation. Mr. Rivas then decides to repeat the procedure step-by-step, modifying the language used in the written instructions so that it is more comprehensible to the students. Which of the following does Mr. Rivas best demonstrate by modifying the lesson?
- Scaffolding instructional technique
- Reciprocal teaching instructional technique
- Sheltered English instructional strategy
- Concept attainment instructional strategy
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
11. Which of the following tasks would require the greatest use of basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS)?
- Completing an individual science fair project
- Asking for directions to a location
- Using a computer to construct a bar graph
- Listening to a recorded class lecture
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
12. In contrast to an adult learner, an elementary student learning the structure of a second language is more likely to
- depend on written representation of the second language.
- apply the structure of the second language spontaneously.
- memorize the grammatical rules of the second language.
- compare the structures of the native and second languages consciously.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
13. During a social studies lesson, Mr. Donelli instructs the students in the class, including English-language learners (ELLs), to draw pictures that represent the meaning of vocabulary words they encounter during the lesson. Then he asks them to describe and explain the meaning of the pictures in pairs or small groups. Which of the following statements best reflects Mr. Donelli’s awareness of research-based second-language instruction for ELLs?
- Exposure to various meaningful linguistic contexts is needed for second-language acquisition
- Indirect instruction of content knowledge maximizes students’ second-language learning
- Formal teaching of language structures best fosters the development and acquisition of a second language
- Systematic and explicit instruction on language features best develops cognitive abilities in students’ second language
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
14. After Ms. Pua, a fifth-grade bilingual teacher, distributes an informative article in English to her class, one student says, “Teacher, the word ‘coast’ sounds like the Spanish word costa.” Before the class reads the article, Ms. Pua arranges the students in small groups and asks them to find and discuss the meaning of words that sound alike in English (L2) and Spanish (L1). Then she creates a chart to record each group’s findings. The activity best illustrates Ms. Pua’s understanding that
- analyzing word parts such as root words and affixes facilitates acquisition and application of content knowledge.
- providing high-interest reading selections motivates students to feel comfortable reading in L2.
- making connections between the students’ L1 and L2 helps build vocabulary knowledge and supports reading comprehension.
- modeling metacognitive strategies for students helps students apply the strategies in L1 and L2 activities.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
15. A basic assumption underlying dual-language curriculum development and instruction is that students develop a first language through
- imitation, reproducing language through approximate imitation of what they hear.
- syntax, discovering the organizing principles of the language they are being exposed to.
- hypothesis testing, finding rules in their language and testing them by applying the rules they have formulated.
- language acquisition, developing grammar based on the linguistic input they receive.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
16. During a guided reading lesson, Lisbeth, a second-grade English-language learner whose native language is Spanish, stumbles over the word “restaurant.” Her teacher reminds her to think about what is happening in the story and suggests that she think of the word in Spanish, which is a cognate. Afterwards, Lisbeth successfully reads the word in English and continues reading the remainder of the text. In the scenario, the teacher encouraged Lisbeth to use her knowledge of her native language primarily to
- facilitate comprehension.
- increase student confidence.
- develop structural analysis.
- focus on context clues.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Use the chart to answer the question that follows.
The chart depicts the stages of language acquisition for English-language learners (ELLs).
The chart has 5 horizontal boxes with an arrow inbetween each of them. The order is as follows: preproduction, production, emergence, fluency, fluency.
17. A teacher is facilitating a reading-comprehension activity to elicit information about a story the students just read. Which of the following would be the most appropriate question for the teacher to ask ELLs in the early production stage?
- “Why did the character evolve?”
- “Where did you find the answer?”
- “Was it a whale or a dolphin?”
- “What do you think will happen next?”
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
18. After four months in the United States, Sal, a fifth grader, still rarely speaks in English (L2) in his bilingual class. In fact, he rarely speaks at all except in short sentences in his first language (L1) during one-on-one interactions with his teacher. The teacher has discussed the situation with Sal’s parents, who seem unconcerned and assure that Sal is also very quiet at home. Which of the following is the most appropriate step the teacher should take next regarding Sal?
- Calling on Sal periodically during class discussions to provide him with an authentic context for speaking in front of his peers in L1 or English (L2)
- Continuing to monitor Sal’s progress and acknowledging that there may be personal factors influencing his language performance in L1 and L2
- Initiating L2 instruction with Sal that includes activities that require the use of L2 oral language
- Regularly placing Sal in situations in which he must speak L1 and L2 in order to take part in activities he enjoys
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
19. The following chart depicts the stages of language acquisition for ELLs.
The chart has 5 horizontal boxes with an arrow inbetween each of them. The order is as follows: preproduction, production, emergence, fluency, fluency.
Which of the following adaptations to the vocabulary map activity is the most appropriate for an ELL who is functioning at the preproduction stage of language development?
- Modeling and explicitly correcting the ELL’s pronunciation of selected vocabulary words for the word map
- Expanding on the ELL’s word map by adding adjectives
- Exposing the ELL to additional words that will be added to the word map
- Helping the ELL select the vocabulary words for the word map
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Competency 003—The beginning Bilingual Education teacher has comprehensive knowledge of the development and assessment of literacy in L1 and the development and assessment of biliteracy.
20. Which of the following would best help English-language learners in a bilingual class improve their decoding of words with long and short/i/ vowel sounds in English (L2)?
- Reviewing how the letter/i/ sounds in the students’ first language (L1), then teaching the sounds of the letter /i/ in L2
- Having the students study the rules of how the long and short vowels can be spelled in L2
- Comparing the rules of how the long and short vowels can be spelled in the students’ L1 and L2
- Developing visual cues that show students when words have the long or short/i/ sound in L2
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
21. Mr. Ramirez uses portfolio assessments with a high school science class that includes English-language learners (ELLs). Portfolios are particularly appropriate for ELLs because they are used to
- guide teacher instruction based on standards not covered.
- evaluate students and determine whether reteaching of content is necessary.
- show the students their weaknesses in their English-language proficiency development.
- demonstrate student growth over time through the use of multiple indicators.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
22. A kindergarten bilingual teacher wants to develop English-language learners’ (ELLs) phonemic awareness skills in their first language (L1), which is an alphabetic language. Which of the following literacy activities would be most effective to use for the teacher’s purpose?
- Singing the alphabet song in L1 to ELLs while pointing to each letter on an L1 alphabet chart
- Teaching ELLs to distinguish between pictures and print in books in L1 and environmental print
- Playing rhyming games with ELLs in L1 and orally retelling stories that feature rhyming words in L1
- Teaching ELLs alphabet games in L1 that involve recognizing and writing individual letters in L1
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
23. In a high school social studies class, students are required to complete daily dialogue journals based on reading passages. A primary benefit of dialogue journal writing for English-language learners is that they
- are instructed on the conventions of standard written language based on the errors found in their journal writing.
- are provided with opportunities to improve their reading and writing skills by reading aloud their dialogue journals.
- can receive more accurate grades on the writing abilities shown in their dialogue journals.
- can take more risks in expressing their thoughts through journal writing than they can through oral expression.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
24. A middle school teacher uses the following word-generation activity for a class that includes English-language learners (ELLs). The teacher writes the word “scribe” on the board and prompts the students to brainstorm all the words they can think of that contain “scribe.” The following are some of the students’ words.
There are four boxes of equal length and size in a horizontal line. Each box has a word written in the center of it. The order of the words are as follows: prescribe, transcribe, scribble, subscribe.
The teacher then asks the students to examine each word carefully and figure out what words containing “scribe” might mean by orally creating sentences that use the words. The class determines that “scribe” means “to write.” The teacher then revisits each word with the class to see if the meaning matches. The activity best helps the ELLs develop vocabulary by
- categorizing new content vocabulary into groups predetermined by the teacher.
- comprehending new content vocabulary through analysis.
- taking language risks in a rich language environment.
- self-selecting new vocabulary that is essential to understanding content-specific concepts.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
25. A primary difference between English and Spanish literacy skill development is that Spanish literacy involves
- the manipulation of individual phonemes within words.
- several sounds associated with one vowel.
- an emphasis on using individual syllables.
- the production of onsets and rimes.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Use the graphic below to answer the question that follows.
There are two levels of this diagram. The diagram begins with 3 boxes on the first or bottom layer, with the middle box being the starting point, which has a label of "Language Experience Approach" and has 3 arrows coming out of the left, top, and right sides of it's outline. The left arrow is pointing to a box that has a label of "Language tasks are integrated". The top arrow is pointing to a box that has a label of "Learner-generated materials are used". And the right arrow is pointing to a box that is blank, or has no label.
26. Which of the following is an aspect of the language experience approach that correctly completes the graphic?
- Lessons are most suitable for use with advanced-level language learners
- Learners determine the difficulty level of the vocabulary and grammar
- Lessons progress from unknown contexts to familiar contexts
- Learners facilitate whole-group discussions
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
27. Which of the following is true according to Cummins’ common underlying proficiency (CUP) section of the “dual-iceberg” model in relation to English-language learners’ (ELLs) first (L1) and second language (L2)?
- ELLs have difficulty transferring content knowledge from L1 to L2
- ELLs have cognitive academic skills that are readily used in both L1 and L2
- ELLs’ previous schooling in L1 has little to no effect on academic performance in L2
- ELLs show success in L2 academic tasks only when they have mastered basic interpersonal communication skills in L1
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
28. The Texas Education Agency has adopted language-level descriptors and expectations for English-language learners to replace the English as a Second Language (ESL) standards. School districts are required to implement these expectations as an integral part of the curriculum across all content areas and content teachers should use the standards to guide instruction. The expectations are known as the
- Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
- English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS).
- Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS).
- Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE).
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Competency 004—The beginning Bilingual Education teacher has comprehensive knowledge of content area instruction in L1 and L2 and uses this knowledge to promote bilingual students’ academic achievement across the curriculum.
29. Mr. Lopez teaches at a dual-language immersion school in which science classes are taught in English. An English-language learner in the class, Raisha, currently functions at a beginning level of English proficiency. To best assist Raisha’s comprehension during instruction, Mr. Lopez should
- provide her with graphic organizers to use when taking notes or communicating ideas.
- assign her a peer tutor to simultaneously translate the class lectures.
- direct her to express ideas in her native language until she masters the unit concepts.
- instruct her to write a summary of critical concepts at the end of each lesson.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
30. The following daily instructional objective is posted on the board of a science class.
Content Objective: Students will interpret data relative to moving objects and produce a motion graph.
Which of the following additional pieces of information would the teacher need to post alongside the content objective in order to meet the criteria of sheltered instruction?
- A description of the cooperative learning activity students will engage in as part of the content objective
- A list of vocabulary words that students will learn or review during the lesson
- A language objective that will be used to focus on developing student vocabulary
- A description in the lesson plan of how the teacher will modify language to increase student comprehension
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
31. English-language learners (ELLs) in a second-grade class are beginning an interdisciplinary unit about plants. To help the ELLs monitor their own learning during the unit, it would be most effective for the teacher to
- provide them with a checklist of all the activities in the unit and encourage them to mark off each activity as it is completed.
- encourage them to keep all of their unit work in a folder and keep a record of each grade or teacher comment on the inside cover.
- help them develop a learning log in which they write what they know about plants and then verify their understandings throughout the unit.
- teach them how to use reference materials about plants and then encourage them to correct their own errors on unit work.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
32. Mr. Ullah, a bilingual teacher, helps English-language learners (ELLs) make a list of questions to guide and improve their writing. He then encourages them to develop the habit of referring to the questions during the writing process. The following are some examples of the questions.
Mr. Ullah’s approach is benefitting the ELLs primarily by developing their ability to
- work independently to improve their writing skills.
- adjust the reading level of their finished written work.
- assess their writing progress over the course of the year.
- self-correct their written mistakes.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
33. Which of the following social studies activities would be most appropriate for English-language learners who are reading and speaking at the intermediate language proficiency level in English?
- Drawing individual family portraits and naming the people in them
- Participating in a guided discussion about community helpers and reading a passage about them
- Creating a model of a neighborhood out of small cardboard boxes with labels identifying a school, a town hall and other community buildings
- Making a collage from magazine pictures of various forms of transportation and reading passages about them
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
34. English-language learners (ELLs) are practicing money calculations in mathematics lessons in their primary language and learning food names in English language-arts lessons. Which of the following activities would best integrate the ELLs’ English language- arts development with their content-area development?
- The ELLs make a list in English of foods they would like to buy and use a price list to determine how much of each type of food they can buy with ten dollars
- The teacher takes the ELLs on a field trip to a supermarket and has them fill in the prices of several different foods on a checklist written in English
- The ELLs search through English supermarket flyers to cut out advertisements and create a visual display of the foods they like best and their prices
- The teacher creates worksheets with story problems written in English in which the ELLs must determine the totals and correct change owed for various food purchases
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
35. A social studies class, including English-language learners (ELLs) at varying levels of English-language proficiency, is analyzing the reasons for the colonization of North America. The lesson plan states that students will read the colonization of North America sections in their social studies text and independently complete a time line detailing the establishment of the thirteen colonies. Which of the following instructional activities is most beneficial in helping ELLs build background knowledge prior to the assignment?
- The teacher presents a slide show that depicts critical events and life in the colonies
- Students create dioramas that depict critical events in establishing the colonies and share them with the class
- The teacher provides students with a brief lecture of the colonies supplemented with maps
- Students work in cooperative groups to complete a concept map detailing what they already know about the colonies
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
36. Students can most effectively reinforce their acquisition of a new vocabulary word by doing which of the following?
- Studying the etymology of the new word
- Identifying the part of speech of the new word
- Using various forms of the new word in sentences
- Locating several synonyms of the new word in a thesaurus
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
37. English-language learners (ELLs) will be working in cooperative-learning groups to complete an end of a unit content-area project in English. Before the ELLs meet for the first time with their group, the teacher asks them to jot down in English everything they know about the project’s topic. Afterward, they meet with their group with their paper in hand to use as a reference. The note-taking activity helps the ELLs work more effectively with the content primarily because it
- prepares them to discuss the content in English.
- allows them to lower their affective filter.
- provides a preview of the content vocabulary in English.
- incorporates authentic language use.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Multiple-Competencies Passages
Questions 38–40 refer to the following information.
Ms. Rodriguez uses a variety of word maps to introduce and expand students’ content vocabulary in her fifth-grade social studies class, which includes varying levels of English-language learners (ELLs). The student objectives during the vocabulary activity are listed below.
Content objective: Students will identify and analyze new vocabulary words.
Language objective: Students will explain the new vocabulary words in groups.
She begins by organizing the students into heterogeneous study groups and assigning each group a prereading activity to be used with the social studies textbook. As they read in their groups, the students must create a list of target words to define and later discuss as a group.
As a follow-up activity, Ms. Rodriguez has the students complete vocabulary maps with the targeted words as illustrated below. Finally, the students share their maps with the whole class.
The following is an example of a word map completed by an ELL.
Competency 004—The beginning Bilingual Education teacher has comprehensive knowledge of content area instruction in L1 and L2 and uses this knowledge to promote bilingual students’ academic achievement across the curriculum.
38. Which of the following part of the word map is most likely to help the ELLs internalize the new vocabulary word?
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Part 4
- Part 6
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
39. The collaborative activity Ms. Rodriguez assigned is fulfilling the language objective primarily because it gives the ELLs the opportunity to
- interact socially with their classmates.
- experience motivation that comes with working in teams.
- practice English as a means of expressing their ideas.
- assess their own English proficiency as compared with that of their peers.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded
Competency 002—The beginning Bilingual Education teacher understands processes of first- and second-language acquisition and development and applies this knowledge to promote students’ language proficiency in their first language (L1) and second language (L2).
40. The word map used in this lesson best helps ELLs to develop their vocabulary skills through
- identifying relationships between newly learned words and familiar words.
- applying effective prereading strategies in scanning an unfamiliar text.
- facilitating translation of texts into their native languages.
- using mnemonic devices that link word forms to their meanings.
- Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded