Praxis ESOL case studies
Praxis ESOL · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Praxis English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) test is one of the Praxis Subject Assessments that ETS develops and delivers, and it is used within the broader Praxis program that states and educator preparation programs rely on for teacher certification and licensure decisions. ESOL candidates are typically prospective or practicing teachers who will work with multilingual learners in K–12 settings, and the test is designed to sample the professional knowledge that role requires: how language works as a system, how additional languages are acquired, how instruction is planned and managed for English learners, how learning is assessed fairly, and how culture and professionalism shape classroom decisions. The Praxis ESOL case studies are 5 cases and about 2,991 words.
1Sorting Errors: Transfer, Development, or Disability?
Okafor teaches a mixed fourth-grade class that includes Lucía, a Spanish-speaking EL at the early-intermediate level. In a writing sample Lucía produces "He runned to the store," "She have two cat," and "I no like the rain." In oral reading she says "sink" for think, "berry" for very, and drops final -s from plural nouns.
614 words, about 3 min2Fluent Omar: When Oral English Masks Academic Gaps
Delgado coordinates EL services at a middle school. Omar arrived from Somalia at age 9 and is now in seventh grade.
570 words, about 3 min3Two ELs, One Back Table, Thirty Minutes
At Lincoln Elementary, Mr. Reyes pushes in to a fifth-grade classroom for 30 minutes, three days a week.
639 words, about 3 min4Diego: Eighteen Months In, and the Three-Year Rule
Patel teaches second grade. Diego has been in the EL program for 18 months.
604 words, about 3 min5The Brother as Interpreter
At a parent–teacher conference, Mr. Haddad's colleague brings in a student's 12-year-old brother to interpret because the district interpreter is unavailable.
564 words, about 3 min