ILTS English as a New Language (250) key terms

Everyday conversational language used in social settings, typically acquired within one to three years of exposure. It is context-embedded and cognitively undemanding, so it can mask gaps in the academic language students actually need for school success.

The language proficiency required for academic tasks such as reading textbooks, writing essays, and explaining reasoning. It is context-reduced and cognitively demanding, and typically takes five to seven years or more to develop to grade level.

A framework that sorts language tasks by cognitive demand (high or low) and context support (embedded or reduced). It helps teachers see why a hands-on activity may be easier linguistically than a lecture, and plan scaffolds accordingly.

The vocabulary, grammar, and discourse patterns valued in school subjects, including technical terms, transition words, and genre conventions. It varies by discipline, so a science explanation and a history argument draw on different language resources.

A three-level way of classifying words: Tier 1 everyday words, Tier 2 cross-curricular academic words such as 'analyze' or 'contrast', and Tier 3 subject-specific terms such as 'photosynthesis'. Instruction often targets Tier 2 words because they transfer across content areas.

Words in two languages that share a common origin and look or sound similar, like English 'family' and Spanish 'familia'. Teaching students to recognize them builds vocabulary quickly, though false cognates such as 'embarrassed' and 'embarazada' need explicit warning.

A learner's first or home language, also called the native language. Strong L1 literacy and content knowledge support English development, so bilingual programs and family-language resources are assets rather than obstacles.

The second language being learned, in this exam usually English for a student who speaks another language at home. L2 development is shaped by age, prior schooling, motivation, and the amount and quality of comprehensible input.

Spoken or written language just beyond a learner's current level, made understandable through visuals, gestures, repetition, and context. Krashen described it as 'i + 1'; without understanding, exposure alone does not produce acquisition.

An emotional barrier of anxiety, low motivation, or low self-confidence that can block learners from taking in language input. Lowering it through a supportive classroom, clear routines, and reduced pressure to speak helps acquisition proceed.

A stage in early second language acquisition when a learner understands more than they produce and may speak very little. It is normal and should not be forced; teachers support it with low-stakes participation and wait time.

The process by which a person develops proficiency in a language other than their first, in school or community settings. It differs from first language acquisition in age, motivation, and the amount of formal instruction involved.

A learner's developing rule system that blends features of the first and second language and often contains errors that are logical at that stage. It changes over time and is not simply a flawed copy of the target language.

The influence of a learner's first language on second language use, which can help, as with shared cognates, or interfere, as with word order patterns. Recognizing transfer helps teachers interpret errors accurately.

The stabilization of an incorrect language feature that persists even as overall proficiency grows, such as a fixed pronunciation error. It often occurs when learners receive little corrective feedback or have limited interaction with proficient speakers.

A method of comparing two languages to predict where learners will struggle, on the assumption that differences cause difficulty and similarities ease learning. Modern practice treats it as a useful guide rather than a reliable predictor.

A systematic way of examining learner errors to determine whether they reflect language transfer, overgeneralization of rules, or a developmental stage. It distinguishes errors, which show active learning, from mistakes caused by fatigue or carelessness.

A teacher's or peer's response to a language error, ranging from explicit correction to recasts, clarification requests, and prompts. It is most effective when focused, timely, and matched to the lesson's language objective.

An implicit correction in which a listener restates a learner's utterance in the correct form, as when 'He go home' becomes 'Yes, he went home.' It is common in classrooms but may go unnoticed unless the learner attends to the form.

An approach in which learning a second language adds to, rather than replaces, the first. Students maintain and value their home language while gaining English, which supports academic achievement and positive identity.

A situation in which acquiring a second language gradually displaces the first, often through policies that discourage the home language. It can weaken family communication and academic foundations tied to the first language.

The flexible use of a learner's full linguistic repertoire, such as discussing a concept in the home language before writing about it in English. It is treated as a resource for learning rather than a sign of confusion.

Temporary supports such as sentence frames, graphic organizers, modeling, and visual aids that help students complete tasks they could not yet do independently. Supports are gradually removed as competence grows.

Vygotsky's concept describing the gap between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with skilled assistance. Instruction aimed at this zone, with appropriate support, promotes the most growth.

A widely used framework describing what multilingual learners should know and be able to do with English in social and instructional settings and across content areas. It includes proficiency levels and can-do descriptors that guide planning and assessment.

A large-scale English proficiency assessment aligned to the WIDA standards, measuring listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Results help schools identify students for services, monitor progress, and decide when students exit English learner status.

Descriptions of a learner's developing English ability, often organized from entering through reaching, or beginning through advanced. They guide expectations for what students can do and how much support tasks require.

Statements describing what a learner at a given proficiency level can accomplish with language, such as labeling a diagram or defending a claim. They help teachers design tasks that are appropriately challenging rather than watered down.

Teaching grade-level content in English with language supports so multilingual learners can access the curriculum while developing English. It combines content objectives with language objectives and uses visuals, interaction, and clear routines.

The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, a research-based lesson planning and observation framework with components such as lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, interaction, and review. It is used to make content lessons accessible to English learners.

Paired lesson goals stating both what students will learn in the subject area and what language they will use to demonstrate it. Posting and reviewing them keeps language development visible within content instruction.

Programs that use two languages for instruction, such as transitional or dual-language models. Well-implemented programs can build academic proficiency in both languages and support students' identities and family connections.

A service model in which English learners leave the mainstream classroom for part of the day to receive focused English language instruction. It can target specific language needs but requires coordination with content teachers.

A model in which an ESL specialist and a content teacher plan and deliver lessons together in the same classroom. It embeds language support in grade-level content and requires shared planning time and clearly defined roles.

The standards a district uses to decide that a student no longer needs English learner services, often based on proficiency test scores and teacher input. Exit decisions should reflect both language ability and academic performance.

A classroom display of key vocabulary, often organized by topic or function and accompanied by visuals or definitions. It gives students a reference for spelling and meaning and is most useful when students interact with it actively.

How language is organized beyond the sentence to build explanations, arguments, or narratives within a subject. Teaching discourse features such as organizational patterns and signal words helps students produce expected academic genres.