MTEL ESL (54) flashcards
MTEL ESL (54) · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Comprehensible input (i+1)
- Krashen's claim that language acquisition happens when learners understand input slightly beyond their current level. Input must be meaningful and just challenging enough to stretch competence without overwhelming it.
- Affective filter
- A hypothesized mental barrier raised by anxiety, low motivation, or low self-confidence. When the filter is high, learners take in less language even when input is otherwise comprehensible.
- BICS versus CALP
- BICS is everyday conversational fluency, usually reached in one to three years. CALP is academic language proficiency, typically taking five to seven years. A fluent-sounding student may still lack CALP.
- Natural order hypothesis
- The claim that grammatical structures are acquired in a predictable sequence independent of the order in which they are taught. Instruction cannot override the sequence, only support progress within it.
- Monitor hypothesis
- Conscious grammar knowledge acts only as an editor. It works when the learner has time, is focused on correctness, and knows the rule; it cannot drive spontaneous acquisition.
- Sheltered instruction
- Teaching grade-level content in English with scaffolds such as visuals, language objectives, and structured interaction. The content is not simplified; the language demands are supported.
- Transitional bilingual education
- A program that uses the home language temporarily to build content knowledge, then moves students to English-only instruction, usually within two to three years.
- Dual-language immersion
- A long-term program in which students learn content in two languages, with the goal of full bilingualism and biliteracy. Both language groups serve as models and learners.
- Castañeda three-part test
- A legal standard requiring that ELL programs be based on sound educational theory, implemented effectively with adequate resources, and evaluated to show they produce results.
- Lau v. Nichols
- A 1974 U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that providing the same instruction to students who do not understand English can deny them meaningful access to education.
- Additive bilingualism
- Maintaining and developing the home language while adding English. It is associated with stronger academic outcomes and a positive bicultural identity, unlike subtractive models that replace the home language.
- Cultural deficit thinking
- The mistaken assumption that differences in language, interaction style, or family practices reflect deficiencies. It leads to lowered expectations and misidentification of capable learners.
- High-context communication
- A style in which meaning relies heavily on shared background, relationship, and situation rather than explicit words. It contrasts with low-context styles that spell out meaning directly.
- Wait time
- The pause a teacher allows after asking a question. ELLs often need longer processing time, and short wait times can wrongly suggest a student lacks knowledge.
- Over- and under-referral
- ELLs are sometimes wrongly referred to special education because of language difference, and sometimes overlooked when a real disability exists. Evidence across languages and settings is required.
- Dialect awareness
- The understanding that regional and social dialects, including AAVE, follow systematic grammatical rules. Dialect features are not errors and should not be treated as language disorders.
- Phonological transfer
- The influence of the first language's sound system on English perception and production. Learners may substitute or merge sounds that do not contrast in their home language.
- Morphophonemic spelling
- English spelling encodes meaning as well as sound, so related words keep similar spellings despite pronunciation changes, as in sign and signal or nation and national.
- Derivational morphemes
- Affixes that change a word's meaning or part of speech, such as un-, -ness, and -tion. They are acquired later than inflectional endings and are central to academic vocabulary growth.
- Tier 2 vocabulary
- Cross-content academic words such as analyze, contrast, and evidence. They appear across subjects and yield the greatest instructional payoff for ELLs compared with everyday or domain-specific terms.
- Cognates
- Words in two languages that share form and meaning, such as Spanish importante and English important. They accelerate vocabulary learning but must be paired with instruction in false cognates.
- False cognates
- Word pairs that look similar across languages but differ in meaning, such as Spanish embarazada (pregnant) and English embarrassed. They cause predictable comprehension errors and need explicit contrast.
- Academic language functions
- The purposes language serves in school, such as compare and contrast, cause and effect, sequencing, and persuasion. Each function has characteristic signal words and sentence frames.
- Language experience approach
- A literacy method in which a learner dictates a personal experience and the teacher writes it down as text for reading practice. It connects oral language to print using the learner's own words.
- Content and language objectives
- Paired goals for a lesson: content objectives state what students will learn, and language objectives state the reading, writing, speaking, or listening skill they will use to show it.
- ACCESS for ELLs
- An annual English proficiency assessment aligned to WIDA standards that measures listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Scores inform exit decisions and monitor status.
- Test accommodations
- Supports such as extended time, bilingual glossaries, or read-aloud of directions that remove language barriers. They must not change the construct the test is designed to measure.
- Total Physical Response
- A method in which learners respond physically to oral commands, linking movement to meaning. It suits early vocabulary and lowers anxiety but is not a complete literacy program.
- Co-teaching for ELLs
- A model in which an ESL teacher and a content teacher plan and deliver instruction together, embedding language scaffolds into grade-level content rather than replacing content instruction.
- Silent period
- A developmental stage in which a new language learner comprehends but speaks little. Lasting weeks to months, it is normal and is not evidence of disability or refusal to learn.
- Exit criteria
- The proficiency scores and evidence a district requires before a student leaves ELL services. Exited students are typically monitored for several years to confirm continued success.
- Formative assessment for ELLs
- Ongoing checks such as oral interviews, sentence frames, and performance tasks that reveal what learners can do with language. They guide instruction and are less language-dependent than written tests.