Praxis Spanish: World Language key terms

Understanding spoken, written, or signed language that the learner did not produce; the reader or listener constructs meaning from a message without negotiating with its author.

Two-way, unrehearsed exchange in which participants negotiate meaning, ask for clarification, and react to one another in real time, whether face-to-face or in writing.

One-way communication produced for an audience with no immediate feedback, such as a speech, essay, or report, requiring planning, organization, and revision by the speaker or writer.

A widely used scale describing what language learners can do in listening, speaking, reading, and writing at levels from Novice through Distinguished.

A real-world material created for native speakers rather than for language learners, such as a menu, news article, song, or radio broadcast.

A classroom assessment model built around one theme with three linked tasks: interpretive reading or listening, interpersonal exchange, and presentational production.

A word in two languages that shares a common origin and usually a similar meaning and form, such as Spanish 'familia' and English 'family'; useful for guessing meaning.

A word that looks or sounds similar in two languages but carries a different meaning, such as Spanish 'embarazada' (pregnant), which does not mean 'embarrassed'.

Reading quickly to grasp a text's general idea or organization without attending to every word, often done before a closer reading.

Reading rapidly to locate one specific piece of information, such as a date, name, or price, while ignoring unrelated content.

Drawing a conclusion from clues in a text or utterance that are not stated directly, using background knowledge and context.

Words, phrases, and sentence structure surrounding an unfamiliar expression that help a reader or listener guess its meaning.

The central point or message that a text or recording conveys, which may be stated in a topic sentence or implied throughout.

Tangible or intangible creations of a culture, such as food, art, music, tools, or laws, that reflect what its people make and value.

The patterns of behavior and social interaction a culture follows, including greetings, holidays, mealtimes, family routines, and rituals.

The beliefs, values, and attitudes that underlie a culture's products and practices and help explain why its members act as they do.

An oversimplified, rigid generalization about a group that ignores individual variation and is often inaccurate or harmful; something cross-cultural study aims to avoid.

A broad statement about a group based on observed patterns that allows for exceptions, unlike a stereotype, which is rigid and absolute.

A fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be deduced from its individual words, such as 'estar en las nubes' (to daydream).

A traditional Spanish proverb or saying that conveys folk wisdom, often with rhyme or rhythm, such as 'Más vale tarde que nunca' (Better late than never).

The level of formality in language chosen to fit a situation and relationship, ranging from casual among friends to formal in official settings.

Spanish second-person pronouns that distinguish informal address ('tú') from formal or respectful address ('usted'), each with matching verb forms and pronouns.

Use of 'vos' instead of 'tú' for informal 'you,' with its own verb forms, common in parts of Latin America such as Argentina, Uruguay, and Costa Rica.

Talking around a word one cannot recall by describing or defining it, such as saying 'the thing that opens doors' for 'key,' to keep communication going.

Restating a message in different words to clarify meaning or to demonstrate understanding, often used when summarizing or checking comprehension.

The study of how context and social norms shape meaning, including politeness, tone, and implied intent beyond the literal words.

An utterance that performs an action, such as apologizing, requesting, refusing, or complimenting; the preferred form of the act can vary by culture.

Alternating between two languages or dialects within a conversation or sentence, often reflecting bilingual identity, audience, or situational norms.

A verb mood used for wishes, doubt, emotion, and hypothetical situations, typically after 'que' with expressions like 'espero que' or 'es posible que'.

Two Spanish past tenses: the preterite presents an action as completed or bounded, while the imperfect presents it as ongoing, habitual, or background.

Two Spanish verbs meaning 'to be': 'ser' expresses identity and inherent characteristics, while 'estar' expresses location and temporary states or conditions.

Two Spanish prepositions: 'por' often marks cause, exchange, or duration, while 'para' marks purpose, destination, or deadline; choosing correctly depends on intended meaning.

Two vowel sounds pronounced together within one syllable, as in the 'ie' of 'tierra' or the 'ue' of 'bueno'.

Two adjacent vowels pronounced in separate syllables instead of as a diphthong, as in 'día' (dí-a) or 'poeta' (po-e-ta).

A written mark placed over a vowel to show stress or to distinguish words with different meanings, as in 'sí' (yes) versus 'si' (if).

A construction using 'se' plus a third-person verb to make general statements without naming an agent, as in 'Se habla español aquí'.

Verbs such as 'gustar', 'doler', and 'faltar' that take an indirect object pronoun and express what pleases or affects a person, rather than a direct action.