The Praxis® Study Companion 27
Step 3: Practice with Sample Test Questions
Answers to Sample Questions
1. Option (C) is correct. In this example, the EL has
addressed the teacher in a manner that is too informal
for their relationship, making it an error in the
appropriate use of register (formal vs. informal).
2. Option (C) is correct. Krashen refers to the affective
filter hypothesis as a critical factor that can affect
language learning positively or negatively.
3. Option (B) is correct. If students need a high level of
sociopragmatic competence to understand the
assessments, it means that there could be a heavy
degree of culturally-specific material on the
assessments, which could lead to cultural bias.
4. Option (B) is correct. The work sheet asks students to
identify which part of the sentence they would
emphasize when answering a series of questions. This
illustrates how the way certain words in a sentence are
emphasized can influence the meaning of the
sentence. Thus, the work sheet is primarily providing
instruction on stress.
5. Option (D) is correct. Castañeda v. Pickard ruled that
district programs for ELs must be evaluated for
effectiveness using a set of established criteria.
6. Option (C) is correct. A portfolio that spans the work
completed over the semester and includes a wide
representation of assessment that addresses all four
modes of language learning would be the best tool to
use when evaluating ESL students’ English-language
development.
7. Option (B) is correct. Subtractive bilingualism refers
to the phenomenon in which first-language attrition
occurs in learners as a result of acquiring a new
language. This phenomenon typically occurs in learners
of a second language who no longer have or have
fewer opportunities to use their first language in a new
environment.
8. Option (B) is correct. Total Physical Response (TPR) is
a language-teaching method built around the
coordination of speech and action; it attempts to teach
language through physical (motor) activity.
9. Option (A) is correct. The second sentence contains
instances of incorrect lexical collocations. That is,
certain words in English cannot idiomatically and
customarily be used to modify certain other words
even though the overall meaning is decipherable (to
speak a language fluently versus to speak a language
greatly). Hence, errors in word choice were made.
10. Option (C) is correct. Stress and intonation do not
determine final consonant forms, and [t] and [d] have
the same place of articulation. However, [t] is a voiceless
sound and [d] is a voiced sound.
11. Option (C) is correct. By incorporating the students’
interests into future lessons, the teacher will help
students gain a sense of personal value from doing
schoolwork. As a result, they may begin to enjoy what
they are learning and develop a sense of personal,
intrinsic motivation to continue learning.
12. Option (B) is correct. Culture shock is a stage that
some ELs may experience upon arrival in the United
States. Typically, an EL going through culture shock may
feel overwhelmed by his or her new environment and
experience homesickness.
13. Option (B) is correct. The critical period hypothesis
states that there is a period of time in childhood when
language can be easily acquired. According to the
hypothesis, language becomes increasingly more
difficult to learn after the onset of puberty.
14. Option (A) is correct. The student is having trouble
taking notes on the woolly mammoth during class
discussions. Based on her needs and proficiency level, a
graphic organizer with a word bank would most likely
assist the student while taking notes on the topic.
15. Option (A) is correct. The language experience
approach uses students’ spoken language to develop
materials for reading and writing instruction. This
approach incorporates students’ oral language
proficiency levels and personal experiences.
16. Option (D) is correct. A recast focuses on the
meaning. The teacher casts back the learner’s utterance
in the correct form but continues with a focus on
meaning. Recast is defined as the reformulation of a
learner’s utterance minus the error(s).
17. Options (A), (C), and (D) are correct. For (A), this
approach guides teachers to understand that student
behavior is influenced by culture. For (C) and (D), both
strategies guide teachers to understand that student
behavior can be influenced by factors related to settings
that resemble their own communities.