ESL CERTIFICATION EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS)
True or False: ELLs represent roughly 10% of students in Texas school. . - ANSWER- True.
ELLs represent 16% of students in Texas school.
How many languages are represented in Texas schools? - ANSWER- Over 120 languages.
What is the percentage of Spanish speakers? - ANSWER- 92%
What is the overall number of ELLs? - ANSWER- 800,671 students
(440,540 bilingual, 307,827 ESL)
What are the prominent languages other than Spanish? - ANSWER- 1. Vietnamese (14,094)
2. Urdu
3. Arabic
4. Korean
ELL - ANSWER- English Language Learner
LEP - ANSWER- Limited English Proficiency
ESOL - ANSWER- English to speakers of other language
DLI - ANSWER- Dual language immersion
LOTE - ANSWER- Languages other than English
SI or SIOP - ANSWER- Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol
True or False: Absolutes are usually the wrong answer on this test - ANSWER- TRUE.
True or False: Referring a student to SPED is usually the wrong answer. - ANSWER- TRUE.
True or False: Trends, popular methods, and points are often the correct answer - ANSWER-
TRUE.
True or False: Use the "perfect world lens" while answering the questions. - ANSWER- TRUE.
Which trends usually indicate a correct answer? - ANSWER- Multiple intelligence, balanced
literacy, brain research, cooperative learning, multi-sensory activities, and differentiated
instruction.
What is the second largest largest ELL group in Texas? - ANSWER- Vietnamese
,Avoid answer choices that include... - ANSWER- Phonics, watering down the curriculum,
discreet language arts skills (very specific)
Answers usually come down to... - ANSWER- Vocabulary!
A good ESL teacher is.... - ANSWER- Proactive! Never wait for things to happen, seek out help
and information .
Focus on ____ first. - ANSWER- Comprehension
The test is 45% _____ - ANSWER- Domain II, ESL instruction and assessment.
Domain 1 - ANSWER- Language Concepts and Language Acquisition
ESL standard 1 - ANSWER- The ESL teacher understand fundamental language concepts and
knows the structure and conventions of English.
ESL standard 3 - ANSWER- The ESL teacher understands processes of first and second
language acquisition and uses the knowledge to promote students language development in
English.
What do ESL teachers need to know about language? - ANSWER- Language is flexible,
responsive, and changes constantly to meet the communication needs of it's speakers.
Language is systematic (has rules) and generative (changes, is flexible, accepts new words all the
time)
Language is used for communication.
Phonology - ANSWER- system of sounds
Phonemes - ANSWER- a unit of sound (cat has three phonemes)
Allophones - ANSWER- letters or combination of letters that make the same sound (/K/ and /C/
make the same sound: "keep cool")
Morphology - ANSWER- Level of words
Morphemes - ANSWER- Parts of words that have meaning (lease amount of letter to make a
word- tree = 1 morpheme, trees= 2 morphemes
Semantics - ANSWER- Meaning (simple understanding of what a word means, its synonyms and
antonyms and even metaphorical nuances)
Cognates - ANSWER- Words that are similar in two languages (same origin)
, Latin roots for English-Spanish means that ___ - ANSWER- the closer the language, the more
likely there will be cognates.
Cognates should be used________ - ANSWER- vocabulary resources
to help with meaning
to acquire academic language
***there can be semantic interference with false cognates****
(exit and exito are not the same, education is the same as educacion)
Syntax - ANSWER- Sentence structure and grammar (how a word functions in a sentence)
How you use words: the priest blessed vs it is a blessed event.
Pragmatics - ANSWER- Use of language in social context
Real world/appropriate use/manners.
Lexicon - ANSWER- Refers to one's vocabulary or dictionary
Orthography - ANSWER- A writing system, an alphabet.
Code-Switching - ANSWER- "I will go a la casa de mi tia"
Language Borrowing - ANSWER- "I want a taco."
Linguistic Interference from native language - ANSWER- If a sound doesn't exist in your native
language, it is hard to hear or learn.
A student has difficulty with activities separating initial sounds from the rest of words,
particularly sounds that similar in his/her native language of Spanish (/b/ and /v/ for example.)
This student needs extra help in what area of language?
-Syntax
-Morphology
-Phonology
-Semantics - ANSWER- phonology
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 - ANSWER- c. Cognates
Language varies according to____________ - ANSWER- Person
Topic
Situation
CORRECT ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS)
True or False: ELLs represent roughly 10% of students in Texas school. . - ANSWER- True.
ELLs represent 16% of students in Texas school.
How many languages are represented in Texas schools? - ANSWER- Over 120 languages.
What is the percentage of Spanish speakers? - ANSWER- 92%
What is the overall number of ELLs? - ANSWER- 800,671 students
(440,540 bilingual, 307,827 ESL)
What are the prominent languages other than Spanish? - ANSWER- 1. Vietnamese (14,094)
2. Urdu
3. Arabic
4. Korean
ELL - ANSWER- English Language Learner
LEP - ANSWER- Limited English Proficiency
ESOL - ANSWER- English to speakers of other language
DLI - ANSWER- Dual language immersion
LOTE - ANSWER- Languages other than English
SI or SIOP - ANSWER- Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol
True or False: Absolutes are usually the wrong answer on this test - ANSWER- TRUE.
True or False: Referring a student to SPED is usually the wrong answer. - ANSWER- TRUE.
True or False: Trends, popular methods, and points are often the correct answer - ANSWER-
TRUE.
True or False: Use the "perfect world lens" while answering the questions. - ANSWER- TRUE.
Which trends usually indicate a correct answer? - ANSWER- Multiple intelligence, balanced
literacy, brain research, cooperative learning, multi-sensory activities, and differentiated
instruction.
What is the second largest largest ELL group in Texas? - ANSWER- Vietnamese
,Avoid answer choices that include... - ANSWER- Phonics, watering down the curriculum,
discreet language arts skills (very specific)
Answers usually come down to... - ANSWER- Vocabulary!
A good ESL teacher is.... - ANSWER- Proactive! Never wait for things to happen, seek out help
and information .
Focus on ____ first. - ANSWER- Comprehension
The test is 45% _____ - ANSWER- Domain II, ESL instruction and assessment.
Domain 1 - ANSWER- Language Concepts and Language Acquisition
ESL standard 1 - ANSWER- The ESL teacher understand fundamental language concepts and
knows the structure and conventions of English.
ESL standard 3 - ANSWER- The ESL teacher understands processes of first and second
language acquisition and uses the knowledge to promote students language development in
English.
What do ESL teachers need to know about language? - ANSWER- Language is flexible,
responsive, and changes constantly to meet the communication needs of it's speakers.
Language is systematic (has rules) and generative (changes, is flexible, accepts new words all the
time)
Language is used for communication.
Phonology - ANSWER- system of sounds
Phonemes - ANSWER- a unit of sound (cat has three phonemes)
Allophones - ANSWER- letters or combination of letters that make the same sound (/K/ and /C/
make the same sound: "keep cool")
Morphology - ANSWER- Level of words
Morphemes - ANSWER- Parts of words that have meaning (lease amount of letter to make a
word- tree = 1 morpheme, trees= 2 morphemes
Semantics - ANSWER- Meaning (simple understanding of what a word means, its synonyms and
antonyms and even metaphorical nuances)
Cognates - ANSWER- Words that are similar in two languages (same origin)
, Latin roots for English-Spanish means that ___ - ANSWER- the closer the language, the more
likely there will be cognates.
Cognates should be used________ - ANSWER- vocabulary resources
to help with meaning
to acquire academic language
***there can be semantic interference with false cognates****
(exit and exito are not the same, education is the same as educacion)
Syntax - ANSWER- Sentence structure and grammar (how a word functions in a sentence)
How you use words: the priest blessed vs it is a blessed event.
Pragmatics - ANSWER- Use of language in social context
Real world/appropriate use/manners.
Lexicon - ANSWER- Refers to one's vocabulary or dictionary
Orthography - ANSWER- A writing system, an alphabet.
Code-Switching - ANSWER- "I will go a la casa de mi tia"
Language Borrowing - ANSWER- "I want a taco."
Linguistic Interference from native language - ANSWER- If a sound doesn't exist in your native
language, it is hard to hear or learn.
A student has difficulty with activities separating initial sounds from the rest of words,
particularly sounds that similar in his/her native language of Spanish (/b/ and /v/ for example.)
This student needs extra help in what area of language?
-Syntax
-Morphology
-Phonology
-Semantics - ANSWER- phonology
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 - ANSWER- c. Cognates
Language varies according to____________ - ANSWER- Person
Topic
Situation
