ESL Practice Test

ESL Practice Test 1. The following demonstrates what linguistic phenomenon? A Spanish speaker says "animales." An English speaker says "animals." A. Codeswitching B. Language borrowing C. Cognates D. Interlanguage - The correct answer is C. Code-switching is when a speaker uses one language and then another, "I will go a la tienda para comprar chicle.". Language borrowing is when the English language adopts words from other languages, such as "rodeo" or "taco". Cognates are words in 2 languages that are related through the same origin so they have similar sounds/spelling/meaning. Inter-language is the in-between space when a person is still learning one language and using their first language to help them understand the 2nd language. 2. A student has difficulty with activities identifying rhyming words by matching the ending sounds such as cat/bat/hat. This student needs extra help in what area of language? A. Syntax B. Morphology C. Phonology D. Semantics - Explanation: The correct answer is C. Syntax is structure or grammar, not sounds. Morphology is the level of words, not sounds. Phonology is sounds. Semantics is the meaning or definitions of words, not sounds. 3. When determining the appropriate register to use, what does a speaker take into account? A. Understanding the formality of the situation B. Understanding the topic of the situation C. Understanding the appropriate grammar rules used in the situation D. Understanding the cultural heritage of the speakers - The correct answer is A. Understanding the formality of the situation is knowing your audience and the context or formality of the situation you are in is the most salient factor for understanding register. If you understand the topic of the situation you can discuss the same topic across multiple registers. In English, grammar usually does not impact register. The cultural heritage does not impact the register you use in English. 4. A student begins a sentence in English, inserts a Spanish phrase, and then finishes the sentence in English. The student is demonstrating which of the following