OSAT ESL (OK177) key terms

Everyday conversational language used in face-to-face social settings. It develops in about two years and is supported by context, gestures, and shared experience, so it can mask gaps in academic language.

The language proficiency needed to understand and produce academic content without contextual support. It takes five to seven years to develop and involves abstract vocabulary, complex syntax, and text-based reasoning.

The vocabulary, grammar, and discourse patterns used to teach and learn subject matter. It includes technical terms, transitional phrases, and text structures such as compare-contrast or cause-effect typical of school texts.

Spoken or written language just beyond a learner's current level that can still be understood through context, visuals, and prior knowledge. Understanding meaning drives acquisition rather than memorizing forms.

An emotional barrier that rises with anxiety, low motivation, or fear of embarrassment and blocks learners from taking in language. Lowering it through a supportive classroom increases acquisition.

A stage in early second language development when a learner listens and observes without speaking much. Forcing production too soon can raise anxiety; comprehension checks and nonverbal responses are appropriate.

The temporary rule system a learner builds between the first language and the target language. Its errors are often systematic and show developing hypotheses rather than careless mistakes.

Carrying patterns from the first language into the second, which can help when structures match or interfere when they differ. Teachers use contrastive examples to address persistent cross-linguistic errors.

The point at which a learner's nonstandard form becomes fixed and resists correction despite exposure and instruction. It often occurs when errors go unnoticed or communication succeeds anyway.

Words in two languages that share a common origin and similar form and meaning, such as English family and Spanish familia. They are a powerful bridge for vocabulary, though false cognates need explicit warning.

A comprehension-first method in which learners respond to spoken commands with physical actions. It lowers anxiety and anchors new vocabulary in movement, making it useful for beginners and content vocabulary.

Learners dictate a shared or personal experience, and the teacher writes it down for reading and word study. The text comes from the students' own language, linking oral fluency to literacy.

Instruction that uses two languages to teach academic content while developing proficiency in both. Program models range from transitional to dual-language and differ in how long each language is used.

A program that begins instruction in the student's home language and shifts to English, usually within a few years. The goal is English proficiency, with home-language support as a temporary scaffold.

A program in which English learners and English-proficient peers learn together in two languages, with the goal of full bilingualism and biliteracy for all students.

Pull-out or push-in instruction focused on developing English proficiency, often without using the home language. It may be the only service available where bilingual programs are not offered.

Teaching grade-level content in English with planned language supports so English learners can access the material. Teachers adapt speech, add visuals, and teach content vocabulary explicitly.

A research-based framework for sheltered content lessons organized around components such as preparation, building background, comprehensible input, interaction, practice, and review. It guides lesson planning and observation.

A scale describing how well a student uses English, typically from entering to bridging or from beginner to advanced. Levels guide placement, grouping, and the amount of support a task requires.

Statements describing what a learner at a given proficiency level can accomplish in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They help teachers plan realistic tasks and communicate progress.

Ongoing checks during instruction that reveal what students understand and what needs reteaching. Examples include exit tickets, quick writes, and observation checklists used to adjust the next lesson.

An evaluation at the end of a unit or term that measures achievement against standards. For English learners, results are valid only if the test's language demands match the content being measured.

Changes to how a student takes a test, such as extra time, a bilingual glossary, or read-aloud directions, without changing what is measured. They must not alter the construct being assessed.

Temporary supports, such as sentence frames, graphic organizers, or modeled examples, that help students complete a task they could not yet do alone. Supports are gradually removed as competence grows.

The gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with guidance. Instruction is most effective when targeted at tasks within this range with appropriate support.

The ability to hear and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words, such as blending or segmenting /k/ /a/ /t/. It is oral, not print-based, and predicts later decoding success.

Awareness of the sound structure of speech at the word, syllable, and phoneme level, including rhyming and syllable counting. It is broader than phonemic awareness and develops earlier.

Instruction in the relationships between letters and the sounds they represent, used to decode unfamiliar words. It is most effective when taught systematically and applied in connected text.

Using letter-sound knowledge to convert printed words into spoken words. Fluent decoding frees attention for meaning, so it is a foundation for reading comprehension.

Reading accurately, at an appropriate rate, and with expression. It bridges word recognition and comprehension; repeated reading and modeled reading are common ways to build it.

Constructing meaning from text by combining word knowledge, background knowledge, and strategies such as predicting, questioning, and summarizing. English learners need both language support and strategy instruction.

What a reader already knows about a topic, which strongly influences how well a text is understood. Teachers preview key concepts and build shared knowledge before reading.

Common words that readers recognize instantly without decoding, including many irregularly spelled words. Automatic recognition supports fluency and frees attention for comprehension.

A shared writing activity in which teacher and students compose a text together and share the pen. It models spelling, grammar, and text structure while keeping the message meaningful.

A recursive cycle of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. English learners benefit from modeled stages, feedback, and sentence frames at each step.

Information given to a learner about an error, either directly, such as a correction, or indirectly, such as a recast or clarification request. The choice depends on the goal and the learner's level.

The pause a teacher gives after asking a question before calling on someone or answering. Longer waits let English learners process the question and formulate a response in the second language.

Structured small-group work in which students depend on one another to complete a task. Assigned roles and clear expectations increase meaningful talk and language practice.

Planning instruction that draws on students' cultural knowledge, experiences, and communication styles as resources for learning. It also examines how curriculum and expectations may carry bias.

The skills, experiences, and knowledge families and communities hold that can be brought into instruction. Teachers learn about them through home visits and community inquiry.

An approach in which learning a second language adds to, rather than replaces, the first. It supports identity, family communication, and long-term academic achievement.

A situation in which the first language is lost or devalued as the second is acquired. It can weaken family ties and academic self-concept and is the opposite of an additive approach.

Statements describing the language students will use to access and demonstrate content learning, such as explaining a process with sequenced words. They pair with content objectives in sheltered lessons.