MTEL SEI (56) key terms

An instructional model in which English learners study grade-level academic content in English, taught by teachers who adapt language demands so the material is understandable while students build English proficiency.

The Massachusetts credential added to an educator license that verifies training in sheltered instruction, second language acquisition, and assessment for English learners; required for most core academic teachers and administrators.

A student whose home language is not English and whose English listening, speaking, reading, or writing skills fall below a level that allows successful participation in mainstream, English-only instruction.

A federal term for students still developing English proficiency that affects their ability to succeed in English-only classrooms; used in federal law and reporting, largely overlapping with English learner.

A questionnaire completed at enrollment asking which language the student first learned and speaks at home; responses trigger English proficiency screening and determine whether further assessment is required.

The English proficiency test administered to newly enrolled students whose home language survey indicates a language other than English, used to decide initial EL identification and program placement.

The annual English language proficiency assessment Massachusetts uses to measure ELs' listening, speaking, reading, and writing and to track progress toward exit criteria and federal accountability targets.

A score band, typically 1 through 6 on WIDA assessments, summarizing how much English a student controls in a given language domain and used to plan scaffolds and monitor growth.

The state-defined evidence, such as reaching a specified composite proficiency level plus teacher input and academic performance, that determines when a student is reclassified from EL status to former EL.

The formal process of changing a student's status from English learner to former English learner after meeting exit criteria, followed by required monitoring of academic progress.

The required period of follow-up, commonly four years, in which a reclassified student's grades and assessments are reviewed to confirm the student is succeeding without language support services.

The field and process by which a person develops proficiency in a language after the first, influenced by input, interaction, motivation, age, and prior literacy in any language.

Cummins's distinction between basic interpersonal communication skills, conversational fluency that develops in roughly two years, and cognitive academic language proficiency, the school language that can take five to seven years.

Spoken or written language slightly beyond a learner's current level that is made understandable through visuals, gestures, pacing, and context, allowing acquisition to proceed without conscious rule study.

Krashen's idea that anxiety, low motivation, or embarrassment can block learners from using available language input, so a supportive, low-stress classroom raises the chance of acquisition.

The vocabulary, sentence structures, and discourse patterns used to explain, argue, and describe within school subjects, including general academic terms and subject-specific technical words.

A framework sorting words into Tier 1 everyday words, Tier 2 high-frequency cross-subject academic words, and Tier 3 subject-specific terms, guiding which vocabulary to teach explicitly.

Words in two languages that share a common origin and similar form and meaning, such as Spanish familia and English family; teaching them lets ELs transfer vocabulary from the home language.

Standard shorthand for a person's first, home, or native language (L1) and the additional language being learned (L2), useful when discussing transfer and cross-linguistic influence.

The influence of a learner's first language on the second, which can help when structures match or interfere when they differ, producing predictable errors in grammar, pronunciation, or usage.

Comparing features of a learner's first and second languages to anticipate likely difficulties and errors, informing targeted instruction in sounds, grammar, and text structure.

A stage in early second language acquisition when a newcomer understands more than they produce and may speak little; teachers should allow participation through gestures, drawing, or short responses.

Temporary supports such as sentence frames, graphic organizers, modeled examples, and visual aids that let students handle demanding content, then are gradually removed as competence grows.

Vygotsky's concept of the gap between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with expert guidance, the range in which scaffolding and social interaction are most productive.

A lesson goal stating what language students will use or produce, such as explaining a process with sequencing words, paired with the content objective and written in student-friendly terms.

The statement of what students should know or be able to do in a subject area by the end of a lesson, distinct from the language objective describing the language used to demonstrate it.

A set of English language development standards organized around social and instructional language and the language of language arts, math, science, and social studies, with grade-level expectations.

WIDA statements describing what learners at each proficiency level can reasonably do in each language domain, used to set realistic expectations and design differentiated tasks.

Ongoing checks during instruction, such as exit tickets, questioning, and observation, that reveal whether students are meeting objectives and guide immediate adjustments to teaching.

An evaluation at the end of a unit or period that measures achievement of content and language objectives, often graded and used for reporting or placement decisions.

A task requiring students to apply knowledge by producing something, such as a lab report, presentation, or model, scored with a rubric that can include language criteria.

A scoring guide listing criteria and levels of quality, ideally shared with students in advance and written in accessible language so ELs understand what success looks like.

Partially completed sentence starters with key academic words built in, such as cause-and-effect frames, that let ELs practice complex structures while focusing on content.

A technique in which the teacher gives commands and students respond with physical actions, connecting new vocabulary to movement and lowering pressure to speak during early acquisition.

Structured small-group work with individual accountability and assigned roles, giving ELs frequent, purposeful interaction with peers and more chances to use academic language.

Classroom discussion norms that require students to build on, question, and cite evidence for others' ideas, developing oral academic language and reasoning across content areas.

The practice of letting bilingual learners draw on their full linguistic repertoire, such as discussing a concept in the home language before writing in English, as a resource for learning.