MTTC English as a Second Language (126) study plan
MTTC English as a Second Language (126) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
English as a Second Language
Map the Domain 1 blueprint into its major subareas (language acquisition theory, linguistics for teachers, assessment, instruction, culture) and weight each by expected item share
Define and contrast the core second-language acquisition hypotheses (Krashen's input, affective filter, and monitor; Cummins's BICS/CALP; Swain's output; Long's interaction) in your own words without notes
Build a one-page terminology glossary of 40 SLA terms with a working definition and one classroom example each
Complete 40 practice items on SLA theory and log every miss with the misconception that caused it
Your checkpoint
A dated SLA theory cheat sheet plus a scored 40-item practice log showing baseline accuracy by subarea
English as a Second Language
Analyze the stages of second-language development (pre-production through advanced fluency) and match two instructional moves to each stage
Distinguish transfer, interference, and fossilization, and predict typical errors for speakers of Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Haitian Creole
Explain the difference between social and academic language proficiency and describe how each is assessed
Write a 300-word comparison of behaviorist, innatist, and sociocultural views of language learning
Re-do every missed item from Week 1 and confirm each error is now explained correctly
Your checkpoint
A language-development stage chart with instructional moves and a corrected error log with zero unresolved misses
English as a Second Language
Diagram English phonology: consonant and vowel inventory, place and manner of articulation, and the phonemes most often absent from learners' L1s
Transcribe ten common learner errors in IPA and identify the phonological process behind each
Explain morphology and syntax concepts (morphemes, inflection, word order, tense/aspect) and give one ESL teaching implication per concept
Distinguish phonemic awareness, phonics, and phonological awareness as they apply to adolescent and adult English learners
Complete 30 linguistics-for-teachers practice items and score at least 80 percent
Your checkpoint
An IPA-annotated error analysis of ten learner utterances with the underlying rule explained for each
English as a Second Language
Compare WIDA and other English language proficiency standards and explain how proficiency levels drive placement and exit decisions
Differentiate formative, summative, norm-referenced, and criterion-referenced assessment and state when each is appropriate for ELs
Identify testing accommodations and bias risks in standardized assessment of English learners
Interpret a sample score report and write a defensible placement recommendation
Take a timed 60-item mixed Domain 1 practice test under exam conditions
Your checkpoint
A written score-report interpretation with a placement and exit recommendation justified by proficiency data
English as a Second Language
Design a sheltered instruction lesson segment using SIOP-style components and name the language objective separately from the content objective
Write content and language objectives that are observable and measurable for a given grade-level standard
Select and justify scaffolds (visuals, sentence frames, graphic organizers, modeled talk) for beginning versus intermediate proficiency
Explain the legal and program-model context for EL services, including identification, parental notification, and program types
Draft three lesson-plan rationales that defend each instructional choice on research grounds
Your checkpoint
A complete one-period sheltered lesson plan with paired content and language objectives and annotated scaffolds
English as a Second Language
Build a table of cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism, high/low context, power distance) and describe their classroom implications without stereotyping
Explain acculturation, culture shock, and the difference between assimilation and additive bilingualism
Identify strategies for engaging EL families and for working with interpreters and community liaisons
Analyze how cultural and linguistic bias can appear in grading, discipline, and special education referral
Complete 30 practice items on culture, family engagement, and equity and score at least 80 percent
Your checkpoint
A family-engagement and bias-referral action checklist with at least ten concrete, defensible practices
English as a Second Language
Integrate all Domain 1 subareas by writing a 25-question self-made practice set with answer rationales
Trade your practice set with a study partner or self-test a week later and diagnose remaining weak subareas
Drill only the two lowest-scoring subareas until practice accuracy reaches 85 percent
Rehearse explaining five key concepts aloud in under two minutes each, as if teaching a colleague
Your checkpoint
An original 25-item practice set with rationales plus a weak-subarea drill log showing accuracy rising to 85 percent
English as a Second Language
Take two full-length timed practice tests and record scaled scores and subarea breakdowns
Review every missed item and classify each error as content gap, misreading, or reasoning error
Recite your condensed one-page master review sheet from memory
Finalize test-day logistics: registration confirmation, ID requirements, timing strategy, and a pacing plan per item
Set a pass threshold and confirm you have met it on the final practice test
Your checkpoint
Two scored full-length practice tests with an error taxonomy and a final readiness statement against your pass threshold
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 75 percent on a 30-item SLA theory set and explain every missed item correctly without notes
Week 4: Score at least 80 percent on a timed 60-item mixed Domain 1 test and produce a defensible placement recommendation from a score report
Week 6: Score at least 80 percent on culture and equity items and submit a lesson plan passing a self-check against sheltering and objective-writing criteria
Week 8: Achieve your target pass score on two full-length timed practice tests with no subarea below 70 percent