Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1

Identify the statement that best describes the innatist position of how a language is learned.

Answer 1

Language learning occurs in children through the language acquisition device (LAD), which is impacted by the language community and environmental influences.

Question 2

Social theories of second-language acquisition differ from others because they explain L2 learning from the perspectives of the learner’s contexts and external influences. According to Schumann’s (1994), a second language learners’ success is based on the emotional receptiveness to the target language, known as the —

Answer 2

Social Distance Hypothesis

Question 3

In both first- and second-language acquisition, children complete a series of similar complex processes and transitions towards language mastery. However, in second-language acquisition, students need to develop a higher level of language expertise called —

Answer 3

Communicative Competence

Question 4

The pre-production stage of second-language acquisition is also identified as the —

Answer 4

Silent period, because the student may not communicate during this period except in nonverbal ways.

Question 5

Social theories of second language acquisition explain using multiple perspectives of the learner and view language learning within larger sociological contexts. According to Schumann’s social distance hypothesis, which of the following is true?

Answer 5

The learner’s motivation is shaped by cultural patterns and ethnic prejudice that impact emotional receptiveness to the target language and learning the language.

Question 6

Canale (1983) identified four components of communicative competence. Which of the following is the ability to compensate for a breakdown in communication?

Answer 6

Strategic competence

Question 7

There are many sources that motivate an individual to succeed in language learning. According to Gardner (1985), which of the following defines instrumental motivation?

Answer 7

Learning a language to get a better job or to fulfill an academic requirement.

Question 8

What is the rationale for using visuals and hands-on activities in teaching language?

Answer 8

Meet the learning style differences of kinesthetic learners.

Question 9

Heritage language speakers may have problems with standardized test questions based on unfamiliar wording related to linguistic or cultural differences. This is an example of which of the following found in standardized testing —

Answer 9

Content-validity bias test issues

Question 10

Language acquisition refers to —

Answer 10

How children and others acquire language.

Question 11

According to Rebecca Oxford, language teachers teach students how to use strategies in order to help them in the language learning process. Strategy training can be integrated with language learning and communication through the use of which of the following?

Answer 11

Specific aspects of language and situational details.

Question 12

In which theory of language acquisition does the social environment play a significant role?

Answer 12

Interactionist hypothesis

Question 13

Sociocultural theory maintains that learning is facilitated by the learner’s use of self-talk, which serves as way to solve a task or problem. Which of the following involves the function of private speech in which learners experiment with grammatical, phonological and lexical features of the language being acquired?

Answer 13

Language play

Question 14

Identify the statement that best summarizes the research findings associated with the development of proficiency in the second language and the age of initial exposure to the language.

Answer 14

Students may have advantages over adults in the mastery of pronunciation, but adults might have advantages in the acquisition of various abstract language components.

Question 15

Minimal pairs are used to teach or assess which of the following?

Answer 15

Phonology

Question 16

According to Selinker (1972, 1991), what is interlanguage in the target language?

Answer 16

An individual linguistic system created by second language learners’ variability in language performance because of cognitive processes used in acquisition.

Question 17

What is one of the functions of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)?

Answer 17

It is the national umbrella organization for the foreign language teaching profession that addresses teacher preparation and instruction.

Question 18

According to Shrum and Glisan (2005), what is the difference between assessment and evaluation?

Answer 18

Assessment means to “gather information about and measure a learner’s level of knowledge and evaluation means to interpret and assign a value to information about a learner.”

Question 19

Which of the following is not one of Krashen’s five hypotheses about second-language acquisition?

Answer 19

The motivation hypothesis

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of the Gouin Series used to teach communication?

Answer 20

Using a narrative with a step-by-step sequence of actions that takes place in a specific context, such as cooking a meal.

Question 21

The pragmatic system of the language is directly linked to which of the following?

Answer 21

Knowledge about the schema of the conversation and the intent of the speaker.

Question 22

A portfolio is an organized collection of the learner’s work used by the teacher and the learner to monitor academic and language learning progress. How is portfolio assessment used in second language instruction and assessment?

Answer 22

Measures the learner’s ability at a specific time and provides evidence of their language performance over time.

Question 23

According to Krashen and Terrell (1983), second-language learners go through specific stages of language acquisition. These stages are preproduction, early production, speech emergence, and advanced fluency. Identify the stage in which students begin to understand written information accompanied by concrete objects and based on prior experiences.

Answer 23

Speech Emergence

Question 24

Identify the statement that correctly describes Normal Curve Equivalent (NCEs) scores and Percentile rank (PRs) found in formal assessments.

Answer 24

NCEs are based on actual raw scores and PRs are not.

Question 25

What is an advantage of using multiple choice questions for assessing language students?

Answer 25

Multiple choice questions do not require beginner level students to produce language.

Question 26

Students in the pre-production stage of second-language acquisition require support from their teachers to prepare them to interact linguistically. However, most teachers make the mistake of doing which of the following?

Answer 26

Pressuring students to speak before they are ready and not accepting non-verbal cues as communication or responses to questions.

Question 27

While listening and reading are receptive modes of language use, speaking and writing are —

Answer 27

Production modes

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of performance-based assessments for evaluating Spanish language students?

Answer 28

Assessment of cognitive ability and the recall of grammar rules