The Praxis eBooks Series Study Guide -...

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World Languages Pedagogy

Test Code: 0841

Revised 2011

The Official

Study GuideThe Praxis Series™ eBooks

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A PUBLICATION OF ETS

Study Guide for the World Languages Pedagogy Test



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Table of ContentsStudy Guide for the World Languages Pedagogy Test




TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1Introduction to the Test and Suggestions for Using This Study Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 2Background Information on The Praxis Series™ Assessments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 3Study Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Chapter 4Don’t Be Defeated by Multiple-Choice Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 5Multiple-Choice Practice Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chapter 6Correct Answers and Explanations for the Multiple-Choice Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Chapter 7Preparing to Answer Constructed-Response Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Chapter 8Succeeding on the Constructed-Response Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Chapter 9Constructed-Response Practice Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Chapter 10Sample Responses for the Constructed-Response Questions

and How They Were Scored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Chapter 11Are You Ready? Last-Minute Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Appendix AStudy Plan Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Appendix BFor More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98



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Chapter 1Introduction to the Test and Suggestions for Using This Study Guide



CHAPTER 1

2 Study Guide for the World Languages Pedagogy Test

Introduction to the World Languages Pedagogy AssessmentThe Praxis World Languages Pedagogy test (0841) assesses beginning teachers’ skills, knowledge, and understanding of the essential content of instructional practices used in the world languages classroom, including whether entry-level world languages teachers have the standards-relevant knowledge believed necessary for competent professional practice . Educational Testing Service (ETS) has aligned the content of this test with the ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines, and the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century . The content of the assessment was defined by a National Advisory Committee of expert practitioners and preparation faculty and confirmed by a national survey of the field . In developing assessment material for this test, ETS works in collaboration with higher education content specialists and accomplished practicing education leaders to keep the test updated and representative of current standards .

The World Languages Pedagogy test consists of 45 multiple-choice questions and 2 constructed-response questions covering four major areas, in the following proportions:

Content Category Approximate Number of Questions

Approximate Percentage of Examination

Score

I . Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices 18 multiple-choice 31%

II . Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction 13 multiple-choice 23%

III . Assessment of Languages and Cultures 14 multiple-choice 23%

IV . Instructional Practice: Integrated Skills 2 constructed-response 23%

Test takers have two hours to complete the test .

Calculators are not allowed .




CHAPTER 1

Study Guide for the World Languages Pedagogy Test 3

Suggestions for using the “Study Topics” in Chapter 3 of this study guideThis test is different from a final exam or other tests you may have taken for other courses because it is comprehensive—that is, it covers material you may have learned in several courses during your entire undergraduate program . It requires you to synthesize information you have learned from many sources and to understand the subject as a whole .

Therefore, you should review and prepare for it, rather than merely becoming familiar with the question formats . A thorough review of the material covered on the test will significantly increase your likelihood of success . Moreover, studying for your licensing exam is a great opportunity to reflect on and develop a deeper understanding of foreign language pedagogical knowledge and methods before you begin to teach or to reflect on previous teaching experience . As you prepare to take the test, it may be particularly helpful for you to think about how you would apply the study topics and sample exercises to the experience you obtained during your teacher preparation program . Your student teaching experience will be especially relevant to your thinking about the materials in the study guide .

We recommend the following approach for using the “Study Topics” chapter to prepare for the test .

Become familiar with the test content. Learn what will be assessed in the test, covered in chapter 3 .

Assess how well you know the content in each area. After you learn what topics the test contains, you should assess your knowledge in each area . How well do you know the material? In which areas do you need to learn more before you take the test? It is quite likely that you will need to brush up on most or all of the areas .

Develop a study plan. Assess what you need to study and create a realistic plan for studying . You can develop your study plan in any way that works best for you . A “Study Plan” form is included in Appendix A at the end of the book as a possible way to structure your planning . Remember that this is a licensure test and covers a great deal of material . Plan to review carefully . You will need to allow time to find the books and other materials, time to read the material and take notes, and time to go over your notes .

Identify study materials. Most of the material covered by the test is contained in standard introductory textbooks . If you do not own introductory texts that cover all the areas, you may want to borrow some from friends or from a library . You may also want to obtain a copy of your state’s standards for world languages and for the preparation of foreign language teachers . (One way to find these standards quickly is to go to the website for your state’s Department of Education .) The textbooks used in secondary classrooms may also prove useful to you, since they also present the material you need to know . Use standard school and college introductory textbooks and other reliable, professionally prepared materials . Don’t rely heavily on information provided by friends or from searching the Internet . Neither of these sources is as uniformly reliable as textbooks .

Work through your study plan. You may want to work alone, or you may find it more helpful to work with a group or with a mentor . Work through the topics and questions provided throughout this study guide . Rather than memorizing definitions from books, be able to define and discuss the topics in your own words and understand the relationships between diverse topics and concepts . If you are working with a group or mentor, you can also try informal quizzes and questioning techniques .

Proceed to the practice questions. Once you have completed your review, you are ready to benefit from the “Practice Test” portion of this guide .



CHAPTER 1


Suggestions for using the “Practice Questions” and “Sample Responses and How They Were Scored” chapters

Read chapter 4. This chapter will sharpen your skills in reading and answering multiple-choice questions . For you to succeed on multiple-choice questions, you must focus carefully on the question, avoid reading things into the question, pay attention to details, and sift patiently through the answer choices .

Answer the practice multiple-choice questions in chapter 5. Work on the practice questions in a quiet place without distractions . Remember that the practice questions are only examples of the way the topics are covered in the test . The test will have different questions .

Score the practice questions. Go through the detailed answers in chapter 6 and mark the questions you answered correctly and the ones you missed . Look over the explanations of the questions you missed and see if you understand them .

Decide whether you need more review. After you have looked at your results, decide whether there are areas that you need to brush up on before taking the actual test . Go back to your textbooks and reference materials to see if the topics are covered there . You might also want to go over your questions with a friend or teacher who is familiar with the subjects .

Read chapters 7 and 8 . These chapters will help you prepare for answering the constructed-response questions . Just as with the multiple-choice questions, it is important for you to carefully read and understand the questions and documents attached to the question . Some of the questions will require that you synthesize information from several different sources in order to answer the questions .

Answer the practice constructed-response questions in chapter 9. Work on the practice questions in a quiet place without distractions . Remember that the practice questions are only examples of the way the topics are covered in the test . The test will have different questions .

Score the practice questions. Compare your response to the rubrics in Chapter 10, “Sample Responses and How They Were Scored,” and decide how your response fits the bullets of the rubrics . Look over the sample response commentary for each of the score points and see if you understand why a particular score was given . Edit your practice response, if necessary, so that it better fits the criteria for a score of 3 .

Assess your readiness. Do you feel confident about your level of understanding in each of the areas? If not, where do you need more work? If you feel ready, complete the checklist in chapter 11 (“Are You Ready?”) to double-check that you’ve thought through the details . If you need more information about registration or the testing situation itself, use the resources in appendix B: “For More Information .”

Note: Every effort is made to provide the most recent information in this study guide . However, The Praxis Series™ tests are continually evaluated and updated . You will always find the most recent information about the World Languages Pedagogy test, including the topics covered, number of questions, time allotted, and scoring criteria, in the Test at a Glance booklet available online at http://www .ets .org/praxis/prepare/materials .




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Chapter 2Background Information on The Praxis Series™ Assessments



CHAPTER 2


What Are The Praxis Series™ Subject Assessments?The Praxis Series™ Subject Assessments are designed by Educational Testing Service (ETS) to assess your knowledge of specific subject areas . They are a part of the licensing procedure in many states . This study guide covers an assessment that tests your knowledge of the actual content you will be expected to teach once you are licensed . Your state has adopted The Praxis Series tests because it wants to confirm that you have achieved a specified level of mastery in your subject area before it grants you a license to teach in a classroom .

The Praxis Series tests are part of a national testing program, meaning that the test covered in this study guide is required in more than one state for licensure . The advantage of a national program is that if you want to move to another state, you can transfer your scores from one state to another . However, each state has specific test requirements and passing scores . If you are applying for a license in another state, you will want to verify the appropriate test and passing score requirements . This information is available online at www .ets .org/praxis/states or by calling ETS at 800-772-9476 or 609-771-7395 .

What Is Licensure?Licensure in any area—medicine, law, architecture, accounting, cosmetology—is an assurance to the public that the person holding the license possesses sufficient knowledge and skills to perform important occupational activities safely and effectively . In the case of teacher licensing, a license tells the public that the individual has met pre-defined competency standards for beginning teaching practice .

Because a license makes such a serious claim about its holder, licensure tests are usually quite demanding . In some fields, licensure tests have more than one part and last for more than one day . Candidates for licensure in all fields plan intensive study as part of their professional preparation: some join study groups, others study alone . But preparing to take a licensure test is, in all cases, a professional activity . Because it assesses the entire body of knowledge for the field you are entering, preparing for a licensure exam takes planning, discipline, and sustained effort .

Why Does My State Require The Praxis Series Assessments?Your state chose The Praxis Series assessments because the tests assess the breadth and depth of content—called the “domain”—that your state wants its teachers to possess before they begin to teach . The level of content knowledge, reflected in the passing score, is based on recommendations of panels of teachers and teacher educators in each subject area . The state licensing agency and, in some states, the state legislature ratify the passing scores that have been recommended by panels of teachers . You can find out the passing score required for The Praxis Series assessments in your state by looking in the Understanding Your Praxis Scores pamphlet, which is free from ETS at http://www .ets .org/praxis/scores . If you look through this pamphlet, you will see that not all states use the same tests, and even when they do, the passing scores can differ from state to state .




CHAPTER 2


What Kinds of Tests Are The Praxis Series Subject Assessments?Two kinds of questions appear in The Praxis Series assessments: multiple-choice (for which you select your answer from a list of choices) and constructed-response (for which you write a response of your own) . Multiple-choice tests can survey a wider domain because they can ask more questions in a limited period of time . Constructed-response tests have far fewer questions, but the questions require you to demonstrate the depth of your knowledge in the area covered .

What Do the Tests Measure?The Praxis Series Subject Assessments are tests of content knowledge . They measure your understanding and skills in a particular subject area . Multiple-choice tests measure a broad range of knowledge across your content area . Constructed-response tests measure your ability to provide in-depth explanations of a few essential topics in a given subject area . Content-specific pedagogy tests measure your understanding of how to teach certain fundamental concepts in a subject area . The tests do not measure your actual teaching ability, however . They measure your knowledge of a subject and of how to teach it . The teachers in your field who help us design and write these tests, and the states that require them, do so in the belief that knowledge of your subject area and how to teach it is the first requirement for licensing . Teaching combines many complex skills, only some of which can be measured by a single test . While the World Languages Pedagogy Assessment covered in this study guide assesses pedagogical content knowledge, your teaching ability is a skill that is typically measured in other ways; for example, through observation, videotaped practice, or portfolios .

How Were These Tests Developed? ETS began the development of The Praxis Series Subject Assessments with a survey . For each subject, teachers around the country in various teaching situations were asked to judge which knowledge and skills a beginning teacher in that subject needs to possess . Professors in schools of education who prepare teachers were asked the same questions . These responses were ranked in order of importance and sent out to hundreds of teachers for review . All of the responses to these surveys (called “job analysis surveys”) were analyzed to summarize the judgments of these professionals . From their consensus, we developed guidelines, or specifications, for the multiple-choice and constructed-response tests . Each subject area had a committee of practicing teachers and teacher educators who wrote the specifications, which were reviewed and eventually approved by teachers . From the test specifications, groups of teachers and professional test developers created test questions that met content requirements and satisfied the ETS Standards for Quality and Fairness .**

** ETS Standards for Quality and Fairness (2003, Princeton, NJ) are consistent with the “Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing,” industry standards issued jointly by the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education (1999, Washington, DC) .



CHAPTER 2


How Were These Tests Chosen as Part of My State’s Licensure Requirements? When your state adopted The Praxis Series Subject Assessments, local panels of practicing teachers and teacher educators in each subject area met to examine the tests and to evaluate each question for its relevance to beginning teachers in your state . This is called a “validity study” because local practicing teachers validate that the test content is relevant to the job . For the test to be adopted in your state, teachers in your state must judge that it is valid . During the validity study, the panel also provides a passing-score recommendation . This process includes a rigorous review to determine how many of the test questions a beginning teacher in that state would be able to answer correctly . Your state’s licensing agency then reviewed the panel’s recommendations and made a final determination of the passing-score requirement . Throughout the development process, practitioners in the teaching field—teachers and teacher educators—participated in defining what The Praxis Series Subject Assessments would cover, which test would be used for licensure in your subject area, and what score would be needed to achieve licensure . This practice is consistent with how professional licensure works in most fields: those who are already licensed oversee the licensing of new practitioners . When you pass The Praxis Series Subject Assessments, you and the practitioners in your state will have evidence that you have the knowledge and skills required for beginning teaching practice .




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Chapter 3Study Topics



CHAPTER 3


Introduction to the TestThe World Languages Pedagogy test is designed to measure knowledge and competencies related to theories, methods, and techniques necessary for a beginning teacher of world languages at the K–12 level . The topics for questions are typically those covered in classes taken by examinees that have completed a bachelor’s degree program in World Languages with appropriate course work in foreign language education .

This chapter is intended to help you organize your preparation for the test and to give you a clear indication about the depth and breadth of the knowledge required for success on the test .

Here is an overview of the areas covered on the test, along with their subareas:

• Demonstrating Cultural Understandings• Using Literary and Cultural Texts• Integrating Other Disciplines into Instruction• Understanding Language Acquisition and

Creating a Supportive Classroom• Developing Instructional Practices that Reflect

Language Outcomes and Learner Diversity• The Need for Ongoing Professional Development• Knowing the Value of Foreign Language Learning

I . Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices (Test Section 1, Part A)

• Understanding Standards for Foreign Language Learning

• Integrating Standards in Planning and Instruction• Selecting and Designing Instructional Materials

II . Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction (Test Section 1, Part B)

• Knowing Assessment Models and Using Them Appropriately

• Reflecting on Assessment• Reporting Assessment Results

III . Assessment of Languages and Cultures (Test Section 1, Part C)

• Lesson and Unit Planning• Lesson Plan Design• Linking Objectives to Curricular Goals• Pedagogical, Societal, Administrative, and Other

Influences • Argumentative Essay Structure

IV . Instructional Practice: Integrated Skills (Test Sections D and E)




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Using the topic lists that follow: You are not expected to be an expert on all aspects of the topics that follow . You should understand the major characteristics of each topic, recognize the minor topics, and have some familiarity with the subtopics . Virtually all accredited undergraduate foreign language education programs address the majority of these topics, subtopics, and even minor topics .

Here, for instance, is a partial topic list from Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices under “Understanding Language Acquisition and Creating a Supportive Classroom” category:

▪ Knows how to use second language acquisition theories (that include target language input and opportunities for negotiation of meaning and meaningful interaction) to develop age- and level-appropriate materials and instructional strategies to facilitate language acquisition in a supportive classroom environment

▪ Knows how to implement a variety of instructional models and techniques to accommodate students’ differences (physical, cognitive, emotional, and social)

▪ Knows how to use a variety of strategies to help students comprehend oral and written input▪ Knows how to negotiate meaning with students during interactions▪ Knows how to teach students a variety of ways to negotiate meaning with others and allow

them opportunities to practice

Below is a list of instructional models and approaches used in second-language classrooms that are connected to the topics above . Referring to textbooks, state standards documents, or other sources as needed, make sure you can describe in your own words what each approach is . For example, you should be able to think to yourself that “A communicative approach integrates reading, speaking, listening, and writing from the beginning and the teacher’s primary role is to facilitate communication among students through frequent pair or group work” or “Asher’s Total Physical Response approach begins with a preproduction phase in which students listen, follow commands, and demonstrate their comprehension through non-verbal actions .” It is also very important to be able to recognize major pedagogical theorists, such as Krashen, Vygotsky, and Skinner, and know how their theories connect to instruction .

▶ Major Language Acquisition Approaches• The Grammar-Translation Approach• The Direct Approach • The Audio-lingual Method• The Cognitive Approach• The Total Physical Response Approach• The Natural Approach• The Silent Way Approach• The Community Language Learning Approach• The Communicative Approach

You are likely to find that the topics below are covered by most introductory language acquisition textbooks and textbooks for related fields such as educational psychology, but a general survey textbook may not cover all of the subtopics . Consult materials and resources, including lecture notes, from all your content and education coursework . You should be able to match up specific topics and subtopics with what you have covered in your courses .

Try not to be overwhelmed by the volume and scope of content knowledge in this guide . An overview such as this that lists pedagogical topics does not offer you a great deal of context . Although a specific term may not seem familiar as you see it here, you might find you could understand it when applied to a real-life situation .



CHAPTER 3


Many of the items on the actual Praxis test will provide you with a context to apply to these topics or terms, as you will see when you look at the practice questions in Chapter 5 .

Special questions: Interspersed throughout the list of topics are questions that are intended to help you test your knowledge of fundamental concepts and your ability to apply those concepts to situations in the classroom or the real world . Most of the questions require you to combine several pieces of knowledge to formulate an integrated understanding and response . If you spend time on these questions, you will gain increased understanding and facility with the subject matter covered on the test . You may want to discuss these questions and your answers with a teacher or mentor .

Note that these special questions are not short-answer or multiple-choice, and this study guide does not provide the answers . The questions are intended as study questions, NOT practice questions . Thinking about the answers to them should improve your understanding of fundamental concepts and will probably help you answer a broad range of questions on the test . For example, the following question appears in the list of study topics under “Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices”:

How might a foreign language teacher apply some of Lev Vygotsky’s ideas about scaffolding and direct instruction in the classroom?

You will notice that in the test, the names and works of important theorists, both in general pedagogy and language-specific pedagogy, appear in more than one category . This is because the work of these theorists has implications for multiple domains that are important to effective teaching . For instance, Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development, while not specifically a tool for language acquisition, is important because it informs the instructional process regardless of the discipline being taught . Knowing what material to introduce next based on current student proficiencies is important for meeting objectives, maintaining student motivation, and helping students scaffold learning . Knowing each theorist’s major ideas and being able to compare and contrast one theory with another comprises basic professional knowledge for teachers . In addition, knowing how these ideas actually can be applied to teaching practice is important professional knowledge for teachers . Below are examples of educational theorists whose works are often the basis for practical classroom application, followed by a list of questions regarding the theorists’ ideas on education .

▪ Jean Piaget ▪ Abraham Maslow

▪ Noam Chomsky ▪ B .F . Skinner

▪ Benjamin Bloom ▪ John H . Schumann

▪ Lev Vygotsky ▪ Stephen Krashen

▪ Howard Gardner ▪ Dell Hathaway Hymes




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Question 1 What does the work of Hymes suggest about the contextual aspects of language learning?

Question 2 How does Bloom’s taxonomy inform pedagogical practice in second-language acquisition?

Question 3 What are the major differences between Jerome Bruner’s and Jean Piaget’s theories of cognitive development in young children?

Question 4 How might a foreign language teacher apply some of Lev Vygotsky’s ideas about scaffolding and direct instruction in the classroom?

Question 5 What does Gardner’s work on multiple intelligences suggest about planning instruction?

Question 6 What does Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs suggest about motivation for learning in the classroom?

If you think about these questions, perhaps by jotting down some notes on the theories and their implications for classroom use you will have probably prepared yourself to answer multiple-choice questions similar to the one below:

A foreign language teacher required her students to volunteer one hour a week in local communities that speak the target language . Her supervisor asked her for pedagogical justification for the requirement . Which of the following language-acquisition theories would best support the teacher’s request?

(A) Cognitive theory(B) Conversation theory(C) Acculturation theory(D) Input hypothesis theory

The correct answer is (C) . Schumann stated that the degree to which a learner acculturates to the target language group will control the degree to which the second language is acquired . Practical application of this would place an additional emphasis on practice in a social environment outside of the classroom .



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Study Topics

I. Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices

Section 1, Part A consists of 18 multiple-choice questions divided among the following three content areas . 1 . Cultures, Literatures, Cross-Disciplinary Concepts2 . Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices (understanding theories and developing

instructional practices)3 . Professionalism

1. Cultures, Literatures, Cross-Disciplinary Concepts A . Demonstrating Cultural Understandings – Connections among the perspectives of the target culture and its

practices and products The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Knows how to integrate culture consistently and systematically into curriculum, instruction, and assessments (according to the products, practices, and perspectives of Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century)

B . Literary and cultural texts from the target culture and their uses to interpret and reflect on their perspectives

The beginning World Languages teacher:1 . Knows how to select cultural materials that are appropriate for the students’ age, interests, and

proficiency level and incorporate them into instruction2 . Knows how to design activities based on those cultural materials that integrate the development

of students’ language proficiency with cultural understanding

C . Integrating knowledge of other disciplines into instruction The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Knows how to use methods and develops strategies for teaching and learning new content by making connections between concepts from other disciplines and those of the language classroom

2 . Knows how to locate and include authentic resources that are appropriate for students’ age, proficiency level, and interest in the target language, instructional resources (Print and non-print resources, electronic and digital resources, the Internet, magazines, guest speakers)

3 . Knows how to identify appropriate aural and written sources for a specific proficiency level

Study questions about this topic may include:

1 . What are the differences between a culture’s products, practices, and perspectives and what are some examples of each?

2 . How could art, music, the sciences, and other disciplines be incorporated into language learning?

3 . What are examples of content-based instruction for the second-language classroom?

4 . What aural and written materials are typically appropriate at each proficiency level?




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2. Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices While this area has the same title as scoring category I, it is a sub-area of the major score-reporting category . It focuses specifically on the test taker’s understanding of language acquisition theories and knowledge of instructional practices .

A . Understanding Language Acquisition and Creating a Supportive Classroom The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Understands language acquisition as it relates to the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social developmental characteristics of K-12 learners

2 . Knows how to use the target language to the maximum extent possible at all levels of instruction

3 . Knows how to use the target language to develop content-based language lessons4 . Knows how to tailor the target language to the age and level of the learners5 . Knows how to use a variety of strategies to help students comprehend oral and written input6 . Knows how to negotiate meaning with students during interactions7 . Knows how to teach students a variety of ways to negotiate meaning with others and allow them

opportunities to practice8 . Knows how to design activities in which students interact in meaningful tasks that are

standards-based, reflecting curricular themes and students’ interests9 . Knows how to provide opportunities for students to respond in open-ended and personalized

responses10 . Knows how to assume the role of facilitator in many classroom activities11 . Knows how to provide feedback on meaning as well as linguistic accuracy12 . Knows how to use strategies that encourage and affirm student progress13 . Knows how to encourage students to take risks in learning the target language


1 . What are some ways a foreign-language teacher can adapt instruction to students’ learning styles?

2 . What are some ways that students’ interests could be used to create meaningful tasks?

3 . What strategies could be used to facilitate beginners’ second-language literacy?

4 . What is the difference between facilitating the development of strategic readers and teaching reading strategies?

5 . What are some strategies to help inexperienced writers begin to develop ideas for a specific topic?

6 . When, and how often, is it appropriate to provide error correction for students’ second-language speaking?

B . Developing instructional practices that reflect language outcomes and learner diversity The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Knows how to use second language acquisition theories (that include target language input and opportunities for negotiation of meaning and meaningful interaction) to develop age- and level-appropriate materials and instructional strategies to facilitate language acquisition in a supportive classroom environment



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2 . Knows how to implement a variety of instructional models and techniques to accommodate students’ differences (physical, cognitive, emotional, and social)

3 . Understands that students will be more likely to participate actively when they perceive the learning environment to be a safe, secure place where they are accepted, valued, and respected

4 . Knows how to create an interactive, engaging, equitable, and supportive environment that promotes language learning and cultural understanding for all students

5 . Knows how to create an equitable environment so all students can learn6 . Knows how to match students’ diverse ways of knowing, understanding, and learning to

instructional activities7 . Knows how to help students recognize the uses and purposes of their heritage language both in

their immediate environment and in a global society8 . Knows how to implement a variety of instructional models and techniques to accommodate

students’ differences (language levels, language backgrounds, and learning styles)9 . Knows how to identify multiple ways that students learn when engaged in language classroom

activities10 . Knows how to implement a variety of instructional models and techniques to accommodate

students’ specific special needs and interests11 . Knows how to implement activities that promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills12 . Knows how to incorporate activities in which students work in pairs as well as in small and

large groups13 . Knows how to define and model activities, state a time limit and the expectations, assign

specific roles and tasks for students, monitor the roles and tasks, and conduct a follow-up or accountability activity

14 . Knows how to recognize that questioning strategies and task-based activities serve different instructional objectives and be able to align them appropriately with program goals

15 . Knows how to seek out information about their students, their backgrounds, and their special needs


1 . What tasks are appropriate for students of differing ages and proficiency levels?

2 . How does classroom management affect the learning environment?

3 . What types of instructional models best promote communicative competencies?

4 . What is scaffolding and how does it support learning?

5 . How would applying a cognitive instructional model be useful during a grammar lesson?




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3. ProfessionalismA . Need for ongoing professional development The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Knows how to identify appropriate professional development needs given the scenario of a beginner teacher

2 . Knows how to engage in a reflective process that fosters professional growth and improves teaching and learning

B . Knows the value of foreign-language learning The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Knows how to identify resources that provide the appropriate advocacy materials2 . Knows how to effectively communicate a rationale that includes key benefits of

foreign-language learning3 . Knows how to advocate language learning for all students4 . Knows how to advocate early, sequential, and continuous lifelong language learning


1 . What professional organizations are available to support World Languages teachers and teachers in general, and what is their focus? (e .g ., advocacy groups, unions, state and national education department websites)

2 . What student activities might promote lifelong language learning?

3 . What would a “reflective process” look like and what documentation would help identify professional development needs?

II. Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction

Section 1, Part B of the test is intended to measure your knowledge of the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century . The 13 multiple-choice questions in this section provide short classroom-based scenarios and ask the test taker to select the standard that is best represented in the scenario . Knowing the National standards and how they are applied in the classroom is essential knowledge for a foreign language teacher, but memorizing them verbatim is not a requirement . A Standards summary is provided in this document in Chapters 4 and 5 and is found in every test booklet for reference during the test .

4. Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction A . Understanding national Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century as defined by the

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) . [5 “C”s = Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities]

The beginning World Languages teacher:1 . Recognizes the appropriate standard addressed given a particular learning scenario

B . Integrating national Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) [5 “C”s = Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities] into planning and instruction .



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Integrating Standards in Planning The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Knows how to create lesson/unit plan objectives that address specific goal areas and standards2 . Knows how to adapt instructional materials to address specific standards

Integrating Standards in Instruction The beginning World Languages teacher:

3 . Knows how to design opportunities for students to communicate in interpersonal (speaking or writing), interpretive (listening and reading), and presentational (speaking and writing) modes

4 . Knows how to design opportunities for students to explore target language culture by means of cultural products, practices, and perspectives, and knows how to compare them to their own culture

5 . Knows how to provide opportunities for students to connect with the target language community via technology and authentic materials

Selecting and Designing Instructional Materials The beginning World Languages teacher:

6 . Knows how to identify and integrate authentic materials into classroom activities7 . Knows how to teach students strategies for understanding and interpreting authentic texts8 . Knows how to locate additional resources to enhance topics/themes in the curriculum


1 . What is the primary focus of each standard?

2 . What activities or assignments would demonstrate each standard?

3 . What are lesson scenarios that would describe students using various modes of communication?

4 . What pedagogical purpose does the use of realia and authentic cultural materials serve?

III. Assessment of Languages and Cultures Section 1, Part C contains 14 multiple-choice questions about knowledge of assessment models and their appropriate use . In addition, it presents scenarios to demonstrate how to use information from assessment results to adapt or change instruction as well as how to interpret and report those results to students and other stakeholders .

5. Assessment of Languages and CulturesA . Knowing Assessment Models and Using Them Appropriately The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Knows how to select assessment practices (formal/informal) appropriate to the task2 . Knows how to adapt and use holistic and/or analytic scoring methods appropriate to the task3 . Knows how to distinguish between formative and summative performance assessment models4 . Knows how to design formative and summative performance assessment instruments based on

ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners to measure student progress in achieving the modes of communication (interpretive, presentational, interpersonal) within the cultural framework of products, perspectives, and practices




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B . Reflecting on Assessment The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Knows how to use insights gained from that reflective analysis to adapt, change, and reinforce instruction

2 . Knows how to allow the information from the assessments and the analysis of the data to inform instruction

C . Reporting Assessment Results The beginning World Languages teacher:

1 . Knows how to interpret and report to students and other stakeholders what students know and are able to do


1 . What types of assessment tools are available and under what classroom circumstances are they appropriate?

2 . What is the difference between formal and informal assessment and how does each relate to formative and summative assessment?

3 . How can instruction be improved through reflecting on assessment results?

4 . What are norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments and how are they used?

5 . With what type of assessments are rubrics used?

IV. Instructional Practice: Integrated Skills

Section 2, Part D, is a constructed-response question that asks the test taker to design a lesson plan given a specific educational objective .

Section 2, Part E, is a constructed-response question that asks the test taker to write an essay on a topic important in foreign language teaching .

Please refer to Chapter 7, entitled “Preparing to Answer Constructed-Response Questions for the World Languages Pedagogy Test” for a detailed explanation of the question types found on the test .


Part D• What is the purpose of lesson planning?

• What are some common lesson plan formats?

• How does the sequence of a lesson plan affect reaching the stated educational objective?

• What activities, materials, and instruction are essential to reaching the stated objective and are appropriate for the students?



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Part E• What are the types of essays and how are they different?

• What are the parts of an essay and how are they connected to create a coherent whole?

• When might a teacher need to use an essay format to advocate for a language program?

• What are some educational issues where a written response would be effective?




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Chapter 4Don’t Be Defeated by Multiple-Choice Questions



CHAPTER 4


Understanding Multiple-Choice QuestionsWhen you read multiple-choice questions on the Praxis World Languages Pedagogy test, you will probably notice that the syntax (word order) is different from the word order you’re used to seeing in ordinary material that you read, such as newspapers or textbooks . One of the reasons for this difference is that many test questions contain the phrase “which of the following .”

In order to answer a multiple-choice question successfully, you need to consider carefully the context set up by the question and limit your choice of answers to the list given . The purpose of the phrase “which of the following” is to remind you to do this . For example, look at this question:

Which of the following is a flavor made from beans?

(A) Strawberry

(B) Cherry

(C) Vanilla

(D) Mint

You may know that chocolate and coffee are also flavors made from beans, but they are not listed, and the question asks you to select from the list that follows (“which of the following”) . So the answer has to be the only bean-derived flavor in the list: vanilla .

Notice that the answer can be substituted for the phrase “which of the following .” In the question above, you could insert “vanilla” for “which of the following” and have the sentence “Vanilla is a flavor made from beans .” Sometimes it helps to cross out “which of the following” and insert the various choices . You may want to give this technique a try as you answer various multiple-choice questions on the practice test .

Looking carefully at the “which of the following” phrase helps you to focus on what the question is asking you to find and on the answer choices . In the simple example above, all of the answer choices are flavors . Your job is to decide which of the flavors is the one made from beans .

The vanilla bean question is pretty straightforward . But the phrase “which of the following” can also be found in more challenging questions . Look at this question:

Which of the following teacher actions would best support the development of literacy skills in a beginning world language classroom?

(A) Using a commercially developed language arts textbook aligned with state curriculum standards

(B) Creating attractive bulletin boards using commercially prepared materials

(C) Teaching phonics, decoding, and word-recognition skills using work sheets

(D) Providing students with motivating reading and writing materials and assignments

The placement of “which of the following” tells you that the list of choices is a list of examples (in this case, these are examples of things a teacher might do in a beginning world language classroom) . What are you supposed to find as an answer? You are supposed to find the choice that best supports the development of second-language literacy skills .




CHAPTER 4


Educational Testing Service (ETS) question-writers and editors work very hard to word each question as clearly as possible . Sometimes, though, it helps to put the question in your own words . Here, you could paraphrase the question as “Which of these techniques would help my students most with their second-language literacy skills?” The correct answer is (D) . Research has found that providing students with varied opportunities to engage in reading and writing processes stimulates their motivation and advances their reading skills . Teaching phonics skills in isolation using work sheets may teach letter-sound relationships, but not the literacy skills of reading and writing . There is little indication that commercial curriculums and commercially produced classroom materials help students learn to read .

You may also find that it helps you to circle or underline each of the critical details of the question in your test book so that you don’t miss any of them . It’s only by looking at all parts of the question carefully that you will have all of the information you need to answer it . Circle or underline the critical parts of what is being asked in this question .

Here is one possible way you might annotate a question:

Which of the following strategies would best allow a foreign language teacher to adapt a lesson plan to improve student understanding of the content of the lesson during a 45-minute class period?

(A) Ask the students to submit written questions they have about the content

(B) Ask the students questions frequently throughout the lesson

(C) Give students a written quiz at the end of the lesson

(D) Give students a written exercise as homework

After thinking about the question, you can probably see that you are being asked to look at a list of classroom techniques and decide which one would give the teacher information about student understanding of the lesson in time to better help foster student understanding during the lesson . The correct answer is (B) . The important thing is understanding what the question is asking . With enough practice, you should be able to determine what any question is asking . Knowing the answer is, of course, a different matter, but you have to understand a question before you can answer it correctly .

Understanding Questions Containing “NOT,” “LEAST,” or “EXCEPT”

The words “NOT,” “EXCEPT,” and “LEAST” can make comprehension of test questions more difficult . Such questions ask you to select the choice that doesn’t fit, that is different in some specified way from the other answer choices . You must be very careful with this question type because it’s easy to forget that you’re selecting the negative . This question type is used in situations in which there are several good solutions, or ways to approach something, but also a clearly wrong way . These words are always capitalized when they appear in The Praxis Series test questions, but they are easily (and frequently) overlooked .

For the following test question, determine what kind of answer you need and what the details of the question are .

When evaluating students’ interpretive listening skills in the target language, which of the following would be LEAST valuable in a task-oriented assessment?

(A) Repeating sentence patterns spoken by the teacher

(B) Participating in an information-gap exercise

(C) Acting out a sequence of verbal commands

(D) Paraphrasing an audio segment



CHAPTER 4


You’re looking for an activity that is the LEAST valuable when determining the skill students have in negotiating the meaning of aural texts . The correct answer is (A) .

Be Familiar with Multiple-Choice Question TypesYou will probably see more than one question format on a multiple-choice test . Here are examples of some of the more common question formats .

1. Complete the statement

In this type of question, you are given an incomplete statement . You must select the choice that will make the completed statement correct .

After using the words “tooth” and “teeth” correctly, some children in a beginning middle-school foreign language class begin using the singular and plural forms interchangeably . This usage results from

(A) paralanguage

(B) difficulty in producing language

(C) overgeneralization

(D) poor listening skills

To check your answer, reread the question and add your answer choice at the end . Be sure that your choice best completes the sentence . Children have already correctly used the words; therefore (B) and (D) can be eliminated . Paralanguage refers to expressive elements of language used to modify meaning or convey emotion . Since the errors are grammatical in nature, the correct answer is (C) .

2. Which of the following

This question type is discussed in detail in a previous section . The question contains the details that must be satisfied for a correct answer, and it uses “which of the following” to limit the choices to the four choices shown, as this example demonstrates .

TIP It’s easy to get confused while you’re processing the information to answer a question with a NOT, LEAST, or EXCEPT in the question . If you treat the word “NOT,” “LEAST,” or “EXCEPT” as one of the details you must satisfy, you have a better chance of understanding what the question is asking .




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3. Roman numeral choices

This format is used when there can be more than one correct answer in the list . Consider the following example .

Which of the following items are appropriate to include in students’ personal portfolios that a teacher uses to assess the students?

I . Dated work samples with teacher commentaries

II . Anecdotal records and records of systematic observations

III . Checklists, rating scales, and screening inventories

IV . Weekly classroom lesson plans and curriculum goals

(A) I and II only

(B) II and III only

(C) I, II, and III only

(D) I, III, and IV only

One useful strategy for this type of question is to assess each possible answer before looking at the answer choices and then evaluate the answer choices . In the question above, “Dated work samples with teacher commentaries” are appropriate for inclusion in an assessment portfolio . So are “Anecdotal records and records of systematic observations” and “Checklists, rating scales, and screening inventories .” “Weekly classroom lesson plans and curriculum goals,” however, do not belong in an assessment portfolio . Therefore, the correct answer is (C) .

4. Questions containing NOT, LEAST, EXCEPT

This question type is discussed at length on pages 23–24 . It asks you to select the choice that doesn’t fit .

5. Questions using the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century

This question type presents a classroom scenario or student activity and then asks you to choose the standard that best fits the description . A one-sentence summary of each of the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century is provided for your reference .

Scenario questions often contain more contextual elements to properly frame the question and require higher-level thinking skills to answer . You may find that it helps you to circle or underline each of the critical details of the question and options in your test book so that you don’t miss any of them . It’s only by looking at all parts of the question carefully that you will have all of the information you need to answer it . Circle or underline the critical parts of what is being asked in this question . For this type of question you not only need to know what question is being asked but you will also need a solid grasp of the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century . Consider the example on the following page .



CHAPTER 4


In an advanced foreign language class, students learn about the evolution of the target culture’s political system . Which of the following standards is best addressed by this scenario?

(A) Connections

(B) Comparisons

(C) Communities

(D) Communication

Learning about the political system of the target language connects to the social studies discipline and would be considered content-based learning . The answer is (A) .

National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project . 1999 . Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century, Yonkers, NY; National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project .




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6. Other formats

New formats are developed from time to time in order to find new ways of assessing knowledge with multiple-choice questions . If you see a format you are not familiar with, read the directions carefully . Then read and approach the question the way you would any other question, asking yourself what you are supposed to be looking for and what details are given in the question that help you find the answer .

Other Useful Facts About the Test1 . You can answer the questions in any order. You can go through the questions from beginning to end, as many test takers do, or you can create your own path . Perhaps you will want to answer questions in your strongest area of knowledge first and then move from your strengths to your weaker areas . There is no right or wrong way . Use the approach that works best for you .

2. There are no trick questions on the test. You don’t have to find any hidden meanings or worry about trick wording . All of the questions on the test ask about subject matter knowledge in a straightforward manner .

3. Don’t worry about answer patterns. There is one myth that says that answers on multiple-choice tests follow patterns . There is another myth that there will never be more than two questions with the same lettered answer following each other . There is no truth to either of these myths . Select the answer you think is correct based on your knowledge of the subject .

4. There is no penalty for guessing. Your test score for multiple-choice questions is based on the number of correct answers you have . When you don’t know the answer to a question, try to eliminate any obviously wrong answers and then guess at the correct one .

5. It’s OK to write in your test booklet. You can work out problems right on the pages of the booklet, make notes to yourself, mark questions you want to review later, or write anything at all . Your test booklet will be destroyed after you are finished with it, so use it in any way that is helpful to you . But make sure to mark your answers on the answer sheet .

Smart Tips for Taking the Test1. Put your answers in the right “bubbles.” It seems obvious, but be sure that you are filling in the answer “bubble” that corresponds to the question you are answering . A significant number of test takers fill in a bubble without checking to see that the number matches the question they are answering .

2. Skip the questions you find extremely difficult. There are sure to be some questions that you think are hard . Rather than trying to answer these on your first pass through the test, leave them blank and mark them in your test booklet so that you can come back to them later . Pay attention to the time as you answer the rest of the questions on the test, and try to finish with 10 or 15 minutes remaining so that you can go back over the questions you left blank . Even if you don’t know the answer the second time you read the questions, see if you can narrow down the possible answers, and then guess .



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3. Keep track of the time. Bring a watch to the test, just in case the clock in the test room is difficult for you to see . You will probably have plenty of time to answer all of the questions, but if you find yourself becoming bogged down in one section, you might decide to move on and come back to that section later .

4. Read all of the possible answers before selecting one—and then reread the question to be sure the answer you have selected really answers the question being asked . Remember that a question that contains a phrase such as “Which of the following does NOT . . .” is asking for the one answer that is NOT a correct statement or conclusion .

5. Check your answers. If you have extra time left over at the end of the test, look over each question and make sure that you have filled in the “bubble” on the answer sheet as you intended . Many test takers make careless mistakes that they could have corrected if they had checked their answers .

6. Don’t worry about your score when you are taking the test. No one is expected to answer all of the questions correctly . Your score on this test is not analogous to your score on the SAT, the GRE, or other similar-looking (but in fact very different!) tests . It doesn’t matter on this test whether you score very high or barely pass . If you meet the minimum passing scores for your state and you meet the state’s other requirements for obtaining a teaching license, you will receive a license . In other words, your actual score doesn’t matter, as long as it is above the minimum required score . With your score report you will receive a booklet entitled Understanding Your Praxis Scores, which lists the passing scores for your state .




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Chapter 5Multiple-Choice Practice Questions



CHAPTER 5


Now that you have studied the content topics and have worked through strategies relating to multiple-choice questions, you should take the following practice test . You will probably find it helpful to simulate actual testing conditions, giving yourself 60 minutes to work on the questions . You can cut out and use the answer sheet provided if you wish .

Keep in mind that the test you take at an actual administration will have different questions, although the proportion of questions in each area and major sub-area will be approximately the same . You should not expect the percentage of questions you answer correctly in these practice questions to be exactly the same as when you take the test at an actual administration, since numerous factors affect a person’s performance in any given testing situation .

When you have finished the practice questions, you can score your answers and read the explanations of the best answer choices in chapter 6 .




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Time—60 Minutes

32 Questions

(Note, at the official test administration, there will be 45 questions,and you will be allowed 60 minutes to complete the test.)

TEST NAME:

Multiple-Choice

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CERTIFICATION STATEMENT: (Please write the following statement below. DO NOT PRINT.)"I hereby agree to the conditions set forth in the Registration Bulletin and certify that I am the person whose name and address appear on this answer sheet."

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PartA16Multiple-Choice Questions

This section is designed tomeasure your knowledge of language-acquisition theories and instructionalpractices.

Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by four suggested answers orcompletions. Select the one that is best in each case and then fill in the corresponding lettered space on theanswer sheet with a heavy, dark mark so that you cannot see the letter.

1. From a pedagogical perspective, which of thefollowing statements best describes the primarybenefit of including foreign language educationin the school curriculum?

(A) Beingmultilingual allows students to bemore socially acceptable to their peers.

(B) Beingmultilingual allows speakers to be lessdependent on their first language.

(C) Knowingmore than one language improveschildren’s cognitive abilities.

(D) Knowing a foreign language is requiredunder federal legislation in IndividualizedEducation Programs (IEP).

2. Which of the following statements is true aboutthe NaturalApproach?

(A) Function is more important than form inbeginning levels of instruction; therefore,learning activities in the classroom shouldbe designed to promote communication.

(B) Students should have access to various formsof literature in the target language, and theyshould engage in extensive analysis of thetarget language through the use of grammarand translation.

(C) The goal of second-language teaching is todevelop students into native speakers whocan handle the language at a consciouslevel and who can give explicitexplanations on how a language works.

(D) Language should be approached first by adetailed analysis of its grammatical rulesand then by application of that knowledgethrough the interpretation of texts.

3. Mr. Gibson is teaching a beginning foreignlanguage class. His students have a problemunderstanding the target language as it is spokenby native speakers in authentic settings.Whichof the following would best helpMr. Gibson’sstudents develop the necessary skills tounderstand the spoken language?

(A) Using a textbook that includes read-aloudsand listening to the recordings repeatedly

(B) Doing listening comprehension exercisesbased on recorded conversations of nativespeakers

(C) Practicing with dialogues in the targetlanguage from the textbook to encouragefluency

(D) Repeating common everyday phrases in thetarget language from audio recordings

4. According to theAmerican Council on theTeaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL)Proficiency Guidelines, which of the followingreading tasks would best be assigned to superior-level learners?

(A) Summarizing the main ideas(B) Paraphrasing unfamiliar vocabulary(C) Makingminimal suppositions(D) Making inferences about the text




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5. A foreign language teacher would like toimmerse high school students in the targetlanguage from the outset.Which of the followingwould be the most appropriate activities forbeginning-level students the first day of class?

(A) Reciting the alphabet and showing a clip of apopular feature film in the target language

(B) Having students introduce themselves andget acquainted in pairs in the targetlanguage

(C) Asking students to respond to basiccommands and gestures after the teacherfirst models them

(D) Writing a list of cognates on the board andarticulating them carefully

6. Aworld languages teacher of students at thebeginning level introduces a cultural reading ofseveral paragraphs from their workbook. Thevocabulary, length of the reading, and sentencecomplexity are challenging for the students.Which of the following class activities formeeting students’ needs as beginning readersis the most appropriate to use next?

(A) Highlighting cognates, newly acquiredvocabulary from the unit, and unknownwords in different colors

(B) Answering comprehension questions inwriting at the end of the reading

(C) Taking a quiz on the new vocabulary,including cognates and previously studiedwords

(D) Listening to a recording of the reading,stopping every few sentences to check forunderstanding by asking oral questions inthe target language

7. A beginning world languages teacher wantsto select reading materials for her early-intermediate-level classes that will preparethem for further academic study.Which of thefollowing literature choices most appropriatelymeets this objective?

(A) Authentic postcards written in the targetlanguage

(B) Articles from the current-events sectionof a target-language newspaper

(C) Recipes from a target-languageWeb site(D) Abridged narratives of classic works from

the target culture

8. Ms. Larra has designed a series of color-codedcharts to help novice-level students conjugateverbs without the need for explicit directives.Students explore the language, proposing theirown changes whenmistakes are made.Whichof the following approaches best fits thisinstructional strategy?

(A) The Direct Method(B) Suggestopedia(C) The SilentWay(D) Total Physical Response

9. Which of the following is an example of areflective practice that fosters professionalgrowth and improves teaching and learning?

(A) Giving feedback to parents at parent-teacherconferences

(B) Providing appropriate error-correction tostudents during class

(C) Returning exam grades to students in atimely manner

(D) Comparing lesson plans that succeededwith those that failed to reach the statedobjective



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10. A foreign language teacher wants to make ageography connection between a country thatspeaks the target language and the students’ homecountry. The classroom is equipped with a worldmap that is color-coded by country and written inthe target language.Which of the following is thebest choice of activity for a third grade, first-yearlanguage class?

(A) Looking at an outline of the countries onpaper and coloring in the countries bymatching the shape and color from the map

(B) Looking at an outline of the countries onpaper, finding the countries on the map byname, then writing the name of thecountries on the outline

(C) Finding the foreign country on the map anddescribing in the target language theclimate of the country based on itsgeographical location

(D) Verifying the population numbers for eachcountry, then computing and comparing thepopulation densities

11. The foreign language teacher of a novice-levelclass wants to encourage extemporaneousspeaking early on so that students becomecomfortable with the concept.Which of thefollowing would be the most appropriate activityto foster the concept?

(A) Students memorize a short poem of theirchoice in the target language and reciteit to the class using props.

(B) Students interview native speakers of thetarget language invited to the classroom.

(C) Student teams prepare a skit on a familiartopic and act it out while reading from thescript.

(D) Students practice and speak a dialogue inthe target language about a unit studied inclass, using vocabulary prompts on theboard.

12. Which of the following reading activities isan instructional strategy that involves studentsskimming text to understand the theme of apassage?

(A) Predicting what the content of ads will bebased on reading content from a target-languageWeb site about dog training

(B) Reading a text about target culture mealcustoms and gathering information inorder to complete a chart

(C) Reading the title, subheadings and firstsentence of each paragraph of an articlein the travel section of a newspaper

(D) Guessing the meaning of unknownwords ina passage from a popular children’s storyusing context clues

13. Which of the following would be the mostappropriate means for a foreign language teacherto encourage a high school intermediate-levelforeign language class to gain insights into thetarget culture?

(A) Inviting a teacher who is from the targetculture to teach a unit on another discipline

(B) Assigning the reading of short blogs aboutthe lives of young people from variouscountries where the target language isspoken

(C) Downloadingmusic from countries wherethe target language is spoken to use as fill-in-the-blank listening exercises

(D) Providing fashion, sports, and newsmagazines from various target culturesfor the students to read




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14. A foreign language learner is staying with a hostfamily during a study-abroad term.While inresidence, he recognizes and uses the targetlanguage appropriately, following the norms ofthe target culture.Which of the following bestdescribes the type of competence shown?

(A) Sociolinguistic competence(B) Grammatical competence(C) Semantic competence(D) Cultural competence

15. Ms. Dunn is planning a lesson focusing onimproving her advanced world languagestudents’ interpersonal skills.Which of thefollowing strategies would be best suited to meetMs. Dunn’s instructional goal?

(A) Students write an essay in the targetlanguage on why they believe taxes shouldbe lowered for everybody, and the teacherselects the most convincing essay.

(B) Students discuss in the target language thebest place to hold their 10-year classreunion and come to a final agreement.

(C) Each student prepares and then presents aspeech in the target language on theimportance of studying foreign languages.

(D) Students perform staged skits in groups onsituations in which parents and childrendisagree about something.

16. Which of the following activities would mostlikely require students to use the highest level ofBloom’s taxonomy?

(A) Reciting a poem in the target language tochildren who are from the target country

(B) Explaining in the target language a conceptduring a content-based science lessonreview

(C) Navigating language-learning softwareusing directions written in the targetlanguage

(D) Writing a short story about a famoushistorical figure from the target culture



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Part B8Multiple-Choice Questions

This section is designed tomeasure your knowledge of the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the21st Century.

Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by four suggested answers orcompletions. Select the one that is best in each case and then fill in the corresponding lettered space on theanswer sheet with a heavy, dark mark so that you cannot see the letter.A summary of the Standards is providedfor your reference.

National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project. 1999. Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the21st Century,Yonkers, NY; National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project.




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17. The teacher of an advanced foreign languageclass is preparing a lesson on the influence ofpop culture on adolescents in the target culture.Which of the following resources would givestudents the best opportunity to communicatein the target language?

(A) Invite a young native speaker to give a guestlecture on the topic, with time for audiencequestions.

(B) Have students watch a documentary aboutthe lifestyle of celebrities in the targetlanguage.

(C) Have students read various newspaper andmagazine articles on entertainment in thetarget language.

(D) Assign students various identities and havethem play the role of pop icons from thetarget culture.

18. A teacher in an advanced world language classgave his students the following two-partassignment: 1. read and report on a story from anewspaper of the target culture that is written inthe target language; and 2. read a similar storywritten in English from anAmerican newspaperand discuss the differences and similaritiesbetween the two stories.Which of the followingstandards best summarizes the teacher’s strategy?

(A) Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate anunderstanding of the relationship betweenthe products and perspectives of the culturestudied.

(B) Standard 4.2: Students demonstrateunderstanding of the concepts of culturethrough comparisons of the culture studiedand their own.

(C) Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and furthertheir knowledge of other disciplinesthrough the foreign language.

(D) Standard 5.2: Students show evidence ofbecoming lifelong learners by using thelanguage for personal enjoyment andenrichment.

19. A biology teacher and a foreign language teacherat the local high school are exploring thecontributions of the target culture’s scientists tothe field of biology.Which of the followingstandards best addresses this strategy?

(A) Comparisons(B) Communication(C) Cultures(D) Connections

20. In her intermediate-high foreign language class,Mrs. Powers divides her students into groups ofthree. She gives each group a magazine reviewof a target culture movie published in the targetlanguage along with the four assignments shownbelow.

Assignment 1: Students read the movie reviewand answer a set ofcomprehension questions.

Assignment 2: Students interview theorganizers of a local foreign-language film festival in thetarget language at the theater.

Assignment 3: Students give an oralpresentation of their findingsin the target language.

Assignment 4: Students are asked to selectanother movie and write theirown review in the targetlanguage.

Which of the following assignments shown abovebest addresses the Communities standard?

(A) Assignment 1(B) Assignment 2(C) Assignment 3(D) Assignment 4



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21. High school students in a level-II language labfollow an authentic map of a target-cultureneighborhood while listening to partiallyincorrect directions to a local destination. Thestudents identify the incorrect portion of thedirections, and, then, using the map, write correctdirections to the destination.Which of thefollowing standards does the activity address?

(A) Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate anunderstanding of the relationship betweenthe products and perspectives of the culturestudied.

(B) Standard 3.2: Students acquire informationand recognize the distinctive viewpointsthat are only available through the foreignlanguage and its cultures.

(C) Standard 1.2: Students understand andinterpret written and spoken languageon a variety of topics.

(D) Standard 5.1: Students use the language bothwithin and beyond the school setting.

22. Throughout the course of the language program,a high school foreign language teacher hadstudents listen to music of a popular band thatsings in the target language.As a result, moststudents downloaded the newest CD onto theirMP3 players so they can listen to the band’s songsat their leisure. The teacher’s efforts and thecorresponding outcome are best reflected inwhich of the following standards?

(A) Cultures(B) Connections(C) Comparisons(D) Communities

23. Which of the following scenarios is an exampleof how a teacher can foster students’ learning ofthe target language by using the interpretivemode?

(A) Having students act out how people orderfood in the target language

(B) Having students write a skit in the targetlanguage

(C) Having students watch a show in the targetlanguage with target language subtitles

(D) Having students memorize parts of a poemand perform the poem as a team

24. In order to address Communication Standard 1.2,which of the following activities would bestprepare intermediate-level foreign languagestudents for reading their first literary text?

(A) Introducing the text, asking guidedquestions, and having the students read forbasic understanding using cognates, wordfamilies, and context

(B) Giving the students a comprehensivevocabulary list in the target language andthe corresponding English translation

(C) Viewing the film adaptation of the text inclass before the reading activity

(D) Speaking about the author’s backgroundinformation, including his biography, hisphilosophy, and the themes explored in histexts




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Part C8Multiple-Choice Questions

This section is designed tomeasure your knowledge of assessment of languages and cultures.

Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by four suggested answers orcompletions. Select the one that is best in each case and then fill in the corresponding lettered space on theanswer sheet with a heavy, dark mark so that you cannot see the letter.

25. A foreign language teacher wants to assess herstudents on the vocabulary they have just beentaught.Which of the following best representsan informal assessment of the material learned?

(A) Having students incorporate the vocabularyinto a multimedia presentation

(B) Having students take a short vocabularyquiz at the end of class

(C) Observing students using the vocabularyduring pair work

(D) Asking students to incorporate thevocabulary into an essay

26. The teacher of an advanced foreign languageclass is reviewing the test scores from the latestchapter exam. From the data collected, it appearshis students have mastered the vocabulary, butmost students do not understand the grammarpoint covered in the chapter.Which of thefollowing would be the best review strategy tohelp the teacher understand the reason for thestudents’ misunderstanding?

(A) Having the students write the grammar rulesin their notebooks during class and provideexamples of each grammar rule

(B) Having the students work in small groups onan exercise that asks students to explaintheir answers related to the grammar point

(C) Having the students create sentences basedon visuals that demonstrate the grammarpoint covered in the chapter

(D) Having the students create multimediapresentations that utilize the grammarpoint presented in class along with anyexceptions to the rule

27. Which of the following statements is true aboutauthentic assessment?

(A) It assesses the learner’s knowledge andabilities in real-world situations by usingthe language in a meaningful way.

(B) It assesses knowledge of grammar andvocabulary in discrete-point items thathave a single correct answer.

(C) It measures the learner’s progress againstthat of other learners in large populations.

(D) It assesses the learner’s performance at taskswithin specific contexts designed for aparticular level of proficiency.

28. Upon grading a unit test on reflexive verbs,Ms. Bauer notes that the students are makinga lot of errors when telling time. She decides thatnow is a good time to re-teach telling time so thatit reinforces and complements the instruction ofreflexive verbs that she has included in her lessonplans.Which of the following statements bestdescribes the teacher’s decision to reteach?

(A) The teacher is reflecting on her assessment.(B) The teacher is reporting assessment results

to the students.(C) The teacher is familiar with assessment

models and uses them appropriately.(D) The teacher is designing some informal

assessment instruments.

29. Which of the following types of assessmentinstruments would best be scored holistically?

(A) Awritten report(B) A cloze exercise(C) Amultiple-choice test(D) A true-false quiz



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30. During the first week of the school year,Mr. Schmidt assesses all his intermediateforeign language students to determine theirindividual levels of oral proficiency.Whichof the following best describes the type ofassessmentMr. Schmidt used?

(A) Summative(B) Formative(C) Portfolio(D) Diagnostic

31. The grades from a unit test show that the majorityof students in a foreign language class scoredbelow average in two out of five test areas.Whichof the following demonstrates the best course ofaction for the teacher?

(A) Assigning students to teams based on theirstrengths and having them review theirtopic with the class

(B) Allowing students to take home the test as areview and then giving a new unit test

(C) Reteaching the content where weaknesseswere apparent and giving a new test onthose areas to the class

(D) Having students write and submit new testquestions and using their input to constructa new test

32. Business owners from a local resort communitywho have a shortage of bilingual employees havecontacted the school district about beginning awork-release program. Before agreeing to beginthe program, the district asks a foreign languageteacher to prepare a classroom demonstration forschool administrators and local business leadersconcerned about the students’ level ofcommunicative skills in the target language.Which of the following would best demonstratethat students’ proficiency levels are adequate?

(A) Having students respond as a class toteacher-generated questions in the targetlanguage

(B) Having students perform a play in the targetlanguage

(C) Providing students’ grades to theadministrators and business owners

(D) Allowing students to respond to questionsfrom the business owners in the targetlanguage




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Chapter 6Correct Answers and Explanations for the Multiple-Choice Questions



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Correct Answers and Explanations for the Practice QuestionsNow that you have answered all of the practice questions, you can check your work. Compare your answers to the multiple-choice questions with the correct answers in the table below.

Question Number

Correct Answer Content Category

1 C Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices

2 A Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices

3 B Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices

4 D Language Acquisition Theories and Instructional Practices













17 A Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction

18 B Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction

19 D Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction

20 B Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction

21 C Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction

22 D Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction

23 C Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction

24 A Integration of Standards into Curriculum and Instruction

25 C Assessment of Languages and Cultures

26 B Assessment of Languages and Cultures

27 A Assessment of Languages and Cultures



30 D Assessment of Languages and Cultures

31 C Assessment of Languages and Cultures

32 D Assessment of Languages and Cultures




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Explanations of Correct Answers 1 . (C) . This question asks about your ability to

effectively make the case for foreign language learning from a sound pedagogical basis . There is evidence that being bilingual may improve cognitive skills . Students will benefit from this advantage . The correct answer is (C) .

2 . (A) . This question asks about your understanding of the underlying principles of language acquisition theory . The Natural Language Approach’s basic premise is the goal of promoting acquisition through basic interpersonal communication . The initial task of the teacher is to provide spoken language that is easily understandable by the learners . This is accomplished by using interesting and stimulating classroom activities . The correct answer is (A) .

3 . (B) This question tests your knowledge of how to enforce listening comprehension in your instruction . Exposure to authentic language helps students attain higher comprehension levels . Only (B) gives students this opportunity . Therefore, the correct answer is (B) .

4 . (D) . This question tests your ability to identify and assign level-appropriate reading assignments . The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines state that a Superior-level reader is able to read with almost full comprehension . Superior-level texts often require readers to form hypotheses and draw inferences . The correct answer is therefore (D) .

5 . (C) . This question tests your ability to interact with the students in the target language in a meaningful manner . Although the alphabet exercise and a feature film (A) might elicit interest, they would not be suitable for the first day of class because the task would be much too difficult to follow . The students would have also remained passive . Getting acquainted in pairs (B) would be too difficult an exercise on the very first day . Writing a list of words on the board (D) leaves little or no room for interaction . Among the options, the best way to engage and immerse students is to use the classroom environment to familiarize the students with new words and sounds . The correct answer is (C) .

6 . (A) . This question asks about your ability to select appropriate instructional strategies . Option (A) targets several learning styles, builds on previously learned material, and clarifies areas that the teacher should focus on . (B) Given the challenging nature of the content, students may not be ready for this yet . (C) Although quizzes are motivating, a quiz may yield little evidence of learning at this point . (D) Although listening offers reinforcement, novice level learners may have difficulty completing this task . The correct answer is (A) .

7 . (D) . This question tests your ability to use age-and level-appropriate reading materials for the early intermediate level classroom . Newspaper articles of current events, recipes, and postcards may not use familiar vocabulary, phrases, and sentences at the students’ proficiency level . They may improve reading proficiency but do not prepare students for academic reading . The correct answer is (D) .

8 . (C) . This question tests your knowledge of language acquisition theories and practices . The goal of the task in the question is to avoid explicit instruction . Options (A), (B), and (D) are all methods that rely heavily on teacher input . The Silent Way espouses that the teacher remain silent during facilitation of language learning . The correct answer, therefore, is (C) .



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9 . (D) . This question tests whether you are capable of identifying practices that foster good teaching . Comparing lesson successes and failures provides both professional growth by looking for teaching practices that work well or that could be improved, and opportunities to improve instruction by making changes to the lesson plans . The correct answer is (D) .

10 . (B) . This question assesses your knowledge of age-appropriate instruction . (A) is appropriate for K-1 students and has little connection to language learning or cultural knowledge . (C) is middle school level, requiring the students to describe latitude/climate in the target language which would not be appropriate for novice learners . (D) is not the best choice, requiring connections to math/geography concepts studied in middle/high school . (B) makes an age- and level-appropriate geography/language connection by providing a meaningful task (i .e ., finding and spelling their home country in the target language) . The correct answer is (B) .

11 . (D) . This question tests your ability to identify level-appropriate tasks that would allow novice-level students to speak extemporaneously . (A) is not extemporaneous speaking; (B) cannot be accomplished impromptu at novice level; (C) is level-appropriate but doesn’t promote extemporaneous speaking when everything is prepared and read . (D) allows students to experience free speaking . It also gives them the much-needed support in the form of familiar vocabulary and prompts to guide them through this task . The correct answer is (D) .

12 . (C) . This question tests your ability to identify the task-appropriate instructional methods to facilitate students’ reading comprehension . (A) is a pre-reading task; (B) requires students to read for specific information; (D) is a vocabulary oriented task . (C) gives students the opportunity to understand the essence of the text, which is the goal of the skimming activity . The correct answer is therefore (C) .

13 . (B) . This question tests your ability to incorporate authentic instructional materials . The youngsters who post on youth blogs are, furthermore, similar in age to the students in your class and would consequently tend to be more interesting for them . In option (A) the focus would be on content-based instruction, not cultural insights . Option (C) focuses on finding the missing words rather than gaining knowledge about the culture itself . Option (D) is a fun but limited activity that wouldn’t highlight diversity as effectively . Often these magazines are too sophisticated for an intermediate-level student to peruse beyond a superficial level . Option (B) allows the students to learn about the lives of a diverse group of people from the target cultures in a way accessible to intermediate-level students . The correct answer is (B) .

14 . (A) . This question tests your ability to identify various competencies that can be targeted by different instructional methods . Of the four competencies, sociolinguistic competence is the only one that is related to the use of language in a sociopragmatically appropriate manner . The correct answer is (A) .

15 . (B) . This question tests your ability to employ meaningful teaching practices while being conscious of the learning outcomes for a given task . Negotiation of meaning has been proven to aid language acquisition . Only (B) requires students to communicate with each other to seek information and to arrive at a consensus . The correct answer is (B) .




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16 . (D) . This question tests your ability to hone students’ critical-thinking and problem-solving skills . Bloom’s taxonomy has long been a pedagogical staple . It classifies levels of intellectual behavior and is applied in all disciplines to gauge the level of cognitive sophistication in a task . It is used to promote critical-thinking and problem-solving skills . The six revised classifications (i .e ., Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating) are hierarchical in nature . While it is often difficult to isolate tasks to a single classification, this question asks about the most demanding classification, Creating, which would require the student to design, create, or develop a new point of view; for example, writing a short story (D) . (A) Reciting a poem best fits the Remembering classification . (B) Explaining a concept best fits the Understanding classification . (C) Navigating a software program would best fit the Applying classification . The correct answer is (D) .

17 . (A) . This question assesses the test taker’s ability to identify appropriate teaching resources to enhance instruction that would give students the opportunity to communicate in the target language . Being able to select effective resources that would best accomplish a unit’s goal is important . Only option (A) allows students to communicate with a native speaker while accomplishing the goal of the unit . The answer is therefore (A) .

18 . (B) . This question tests your ability to give students the opportunity to explore customs and practices of the target culture while drawing comparisons with their own backgrounds . (B) is the only option which requires students to compare target country and American cultures . The right answer is therefore (B) .

19 . (D) . This question asks you if you recognize which standard is being applied . Collaboration with other disciplines while using the target language is content-based learning . Other standards may be incorporated into the unit, but the standard addressed in the question is Connections . The correct answer is (D) .

20 . (B) . This question asks if you can identify the focus of a given standard . Interviewing members of the community best satisfies the requirements of Communities Standard 5 .1 . Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting . The correct answer is (B) .

21 . (C) . This question tests your ability to integrate foreign language learning standards into your curriculum . This activity in this question addresses the Communication standard (C) . The student demonstrates understanding of brief instructions when dealing with familiar topics . (A) is incorrect . Although authentic materials are used, there is no comparison between the products and perspectives of the culture, only comparison between correct and incorrect directions . (B) Standard 3 .2 focuses on recognizing distinctive points of view . The focus of this student activity is on understanding the language, not on recognizing different perspectives . (D) Standard 5 .1 is part of the Communities standard, which focuses on participation in multilingual communities outside of the classroom . The correct answer is (C) .

22 . (D) . This question tests your ability to provide students with opportunities to learn the target language via technology and authentic materials . Communities Standard 5 .2 refers to students’ showing evidence of becoming lifelong learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment . The correct answer is (D) .



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23 . (C) . This question tests your ability to provide students with opportunities to use the target language in the interpretive mode . (A) is interpersonal mode . (B) and (D) are presentational modes of communication . (C) is interpretive mode . Watching a show, however simple, requires students to combine listening and reading in order to interpret the content . The correct answer is (C) .

24 . (A) . This question tests your ability to efficiently use authentic texts for instruction . Research shows that guiding beginning and intermediate students through an authentic stimulus by using tactics like skimming for basic information and asking basic comprehension questions, makes the stimulus more effective . Options (C) and (D) would be more appropriate for advanced-level students . Option (B) is counterproductive . Option (A) allows students to meaningfully interact and draw meaning from the text . The correct answer is (A) .

25 . (C) . This question tests your ability to distinguish between various assessment models . Formal assessment usually implies a written document, such as a test, quiz, or paper . A formal assessment is given a numerical score or grade based on student performance, whereas an informal assessment does not contribute to a student’s final grade . An informal assessment usually occurs in a more casual manner and may include observation, inventories, checklists, participation, peer and self evaluation, and discussion . The correct answer, therefore, is (C) .

26 . (B) . This question focuses on a best instructional practice to employ after reflecting on assessment results . Since it is clear that most students do not understand the grammar point, asking students to explain their answers would give the teacher insight into the reason for their confusion . Options (A), (C), and (D) might help some students improve but would not provide as much information to the teacher as (B) . The correct answer is (B) .

27 . (A) . This question tests your knowledge of assessment design based on guidelines . In authentic assessment, test takers are asked to construct their own responses rather than choose from ones presented . The tasks replicate the challenges that may need to be faced in the real world . (B) and (D) include a limited context, and (C) describes a norm-referenced test . The correct answer is therefore (A) .

28 . (A) . This question tests your ability to use insights gained from practicing reflective analysis of assessment data in order to positively impact future instruction . Option (B) is not correct because the teacher is not reporting assessment; she is deciding to re-teach a concept . Option (C) is not valid because the focus of the question is not about choosing an assessment instrument . In option (D), she may design an instrument in the near future; however, her reflection drives her decision to re-teach . The correct answer is (A) . The teacher reflects on student outcomes and decides to bolster instruction by re-teaching .

29 . (A) . This question is about your understanding of when to use specific scoring methods . In holistic scoring, a rubric is used that defines the quality of a student response in several scoring categories and at different score points; however, typically, only a single score is given that encompasses the overall quality of the student work . Written and oral reports lend themselves to holistic scoring because several elements that can be evaluated are embedded within an assignment . Options (B), (C), and (D) measure only discrete pieces of knowledge and are best scored using an analytic scoring method . The correct answer is (A) .




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30 . (D) . This question tests your ability to select assessments that are task-appropriate . (D) Diagnostic tests are used to determine proficiency levels at the beginning of a course and inform instructional strategies and curricular choices . (B) Formative assessments are used during instruction to assess ongoing progress . (C) Portfolio assessments are only done after a student has the opportunity to produce materials . (A) Summative assessments are done only after a period of learning has occurred, such as a unit, marking period, or semester . The correct answer is therefore (D) .

31 . (C) . This question tests your ability to use data from assessment results to inform future instruction . Option (C) is the best choice as it goes over the problem areas again, and then assesses the re-taught area (rather that the entire unit) . Option (A) will have students review all areas, which is not necessary . Option (B) will have students review questions they didn’t understand in the first place, without re-teaching/clarifying them; therefore the new test will likely yield similar results . Option (D) focuses on areas that students already are successful in, instead of the problem areas . It does not address the problems . The correct answer is (C) .

32 . (D) . This question tests your ability to accurately report students’ performance . Allowing students to respond to impromptu questions would demonstrate students’ practical ability to communicate in a real-world context (D) . Rote repetition (A) or memorizing lines in a play (B) would not be as effective . Test grades, although good supportive evidence, would not demonstrate actual communicative skills (C) . The correct answer is (D) .



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Chapter 7Preparing to Answer Constructed-Response Questions




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The goal of this chapter is to provide you with strategies for how to read, analyze, and understand the constructed-response questions on the Praxis World Languages Pedagogy test and then how to outline and write successful responses .

Introduction to the World Languages Pedagogy Constructed-Response Question TypesThe World Languages Pedagogy test is intended primarily for persons planning to teach in foreign languages programs at the K–12 level . The test measures pedagogical knowledge and competence in the theories, methods, and techniques associated with teaching a foreign language . The questions are related to instructional practices, understanding linguistic theories, integration of the national standards into curriculum and instruction as well as assessment of languages and cultures . Also included are questions about integrating knowledge of culture and other disciplines into instruction, developing instructional practices that reflect language outcomes and learner diversity, demonstrating the need for ongoing professional development, and knowing the value of foreign language learning .

There are two constructed-response questions . A total of 60 minutes is allowed for answering both questions . Suggested times are given with each prompt, but how long you spend on each is your choice . The constructed-response section of the test is designed to gather evidence about your knowledge of how to apply your pedagogical knowledge by designing a lesson plan to achieve a given learning objective and your ability to write coherently on a topic related to teaching and learning .

The first question asks you to design portions of a lesson plan that covers three, 50-minute class periods . Students’ age, grade, and proficiency level, based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, is provided . A theme or topic and a learning objective are also given . Your task, as a test taker, is to design a lesson that helps students reach the learning objective given and incorporates your knowledge of student development, learning theories, instructional strategies, and assessment to achieve the goal .

The second question asks you to write an opinion essay based on scenarios that may include professional development, curriculum issues, technology, assessment, foreign language teaching methodology, or other issues related to learning and teaching .

What to StudySuccess on this test is not simply a matter of learning more about how to respond to constructed-response questions . It also takes real knowledge of the field . As mentioned above, the test is designed to gather evidence about your knowledge of how to apply your pedagogical knowledge and your ability to write coherently on a topic related to foreign language teaching and learning . It therefore would serve you well to review your college pedagogy texts and notes from education classes you have taken .

Although not an exhaustive list, the resources on the following two pages are particularly relevant to the types of knowledge topics and skills covered by the test .



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Online Resources

ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers http://www.actfl.org/files/public/ACTFLNCATEStandardsRevised713.pdf

The Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century and other useful publications are available from the website of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) . http://www.actfl.org/

American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) http://www.aatg.org/

American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) http://www.frenchteachers.org/

American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) http://www.aatsp.org/

Center for Applied Linguistics http://www.cal.org/

Chinese Language Teachers Association http://clta-us.org/

Modern Language Association http://www.mla.org/

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) http://www.tesol.org/

Print Resources

Celce-Murcia, Marianne, ed . Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language, 3rd edition . Heinle . Cengage Learning http://www.cengage.com/

This volume consists of a series of articles on specific pedagogical topics by different authors, providing a comprehensive view of English as a Second Language teaching . Although the focus is on English as a Second Language (ESL), the articles are equally applicable to other languages and accessible for the novice teacher and teachers with some experience .

Nunan, David . Second Language Teaching and Learning . Heinle . Cengage Learninghttp://www.cengage.com/

The stated purpose of this text is a practical introduction to current practices and theoretical background for second language teaching and learning . It provides explanation and use of pedagogical theories in plain English . Nunan scaffolds empirical support for research with practical examples and comparisons .




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Omaggio Hadley, Alice . Teaching Language in Context . Third Edition . Boston: Heinle & Heinle . http://www.cengage.com/

This combines a literature review and examples of various methodologies .

Ormrod, Jeanne E . Educational Psychology: Developing Learners . Merrill-Prentice Hall

This is a general educational psychology college-level text for students pursuing a teaching credential .

Shrum, Judith L . and E . Glisan . Teacher’s Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction, 4th edition, Heinle . http://www.cengage.com/

This a college text designed as a methods course for students pursuing a foreign language teaching credential .

Slavin, Robert E . Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice, 7th edition . Allyn and Bacon

This is a general educational psychology college-level text for students pursuing a teaching credential .

Journals

Foreign Language Annals, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

Language Educator, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

TESOL Quarterly, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages



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Understanding What the Questions Are Asking

The World Languages Pedagogy test contains two constructed-response questions . The first asks the test taker to design a lesson plan given a learning objective . The second requires the test taker to write an essay in English on a specific topic . In the next two sections we will thoroughly analyze first the lesson plan question and then the essay .

It is impossible to write a successful response to a question unless you thoroughly understand the question . Often test takers jump into their written response without taking enough time to analyze exactly what the question is asking; how many different parts of the question need to be addressed; and how the information in the accompanying lists, charts, or tables needs to be addressed . The time you invest in making sure you understand what the question is asking will very likely pay off in a better performance, as long as you budget your time and do not spend a large proportion of the available time just reading the question .

Examine the overall question closely, then identify what specific questions are being asked; mentally organize your response; and outline your key themes . Leave yourself plenty of time to write your answer . If you think out your response beforehand, your lesson plan or essay will probably be stronger .




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Sample Question-Lesson Plan

To illustrate the importance of understanding the question before you begin writing, let’s start with a sample question that asks the test taker to design a lesson plan .

PART D(Suggested time-40 minutes)

Directions: You will be given a scenario to design a lesson . Your response should be written in English . It should be grade appropriate and should address the objective given . Write your response in the space provided in the response book .

Make sure that you include the following information in your lesson: Vocabulary you will include in the lesson Materials you will use in the lesson Detailed description of procedures and activities that will be part of the lesson Informal or formal assessment or evaluation of students’ learning

Manage your time so that you allow enough time to plan, write, and revise your response . Typically, an effective response will contain a minimum of 200 words .

Assume that you are teaching a third-year, high school foreign language class . Your students are from 15 to 17 years of age . Most students are estimated to be in the intermediate range, as described in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines . Design an instructional unit on famous painters of the target culture . At the end of the unit, students will be familiar with several painters and discuss details of the painters’ personal and professional lives as well as their contributions to the target culture’s artistic production . Your unit will cover three class periods of 50 minutes each .

School Grade: Third year, high school Student Profile: 15-17 years of age Proficiency Level: Intermediate range in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines Theme/Topic: Famous painters of the target culture Objective: Students will be familiar with several painters and discuss details of the painters’ personal and professional lives as well as their contributions to the target culture’s artistic production Length of Unit: 3 class periods of 50 minutes each Vocabulary: Materials: Procedures/Activities: Assessment:

Make sure you include all the blank categories in your response.



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Key Components of the Question

Do you think you understand all of the requirements of the question? Let’s look at the question again . This time the key parts of the question will be underlined and explained in the gray text boxes .

Read the Directions for LogisticsYour response is scored based on completely answering the question and the quality of content in the response, not on whether you use more or less than 40 minutes or 200 words to complete your response to answer all of the aspects of the question . These factors would only negatively impact your score if the raters who are scoring your response cannot find evidence because the response is too brief to provide adequate evidence, poor time management results in an incomplete response, or the response is written in a language other than English .

Read the Directions for content The directions also specify the aspects of the lesson plan that will be scored: • Designs a lesson that is grade appropriate, • addresses the objective given, and • includes vocabulary materials, a detailed description of procedures and activities, and informal or formal assessment . The quality and interaction of these components as compared with a rubric will determine your score .

PART D(Suggested time-40 minutes)

Directions: You will be given a scenario to design a lesson . Your response should be written in English . It should be grade appropriate and should address the objective given . Write your response in the space provided in the response book .

Make sure that you include the following information in your lesson: Vocabulary you will include in the lesson Materials you will use in the lesson Detailed description of procedures and activities that will be part of the lesson Informal or formal assessment or evaluation of students’ learning

Manage your time so that you allow enough time to plan, write, and revise your response . Typically, an effective response will contain a minimum of 200 words .




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Read the Prompt for details The prompt provides a scenario, written as a paragraph and repeated as a list, that gives specific criteria about the • students’ ages and grades • students’ proficiency level • topic or theme for the lesson plan • learning objective you are to achieve • timeline for accomplishment of the objective, and • components of the lesson you are to provide (vocabulary, materials, procedures and activities, and assessment)

Understanding what is being asked is vital to planning and writing an effective response .

Assume that you are teaching a third-year, high school foreign language class . Your students are from 15 to 17 years of age . Most students are estimated to be in the intermediate range, as described in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines . Design an instructional unit on famous painters of the target culture . At the end of the unit, students will be familiar with several painters and discuss details of the painters’ personal and professional lives as well as their contributions to the target culture’s artistic production . Your unit will cover three class periods of 50 minutes each .

School Grade: Third year, high school Student Profile: 15-17 years of age Proficiency Level: Intermediate range in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines Theme/Topic: Famous painters of the target culture Objective: Students will be familiar with several painters and discuss details of the painters’ personal and professional lives as well as their contributions to the target culture’s artistic production Length of Unit: 3 class periods of 50 minutes each Vocabulary: Materials: Procedures/Activities: Assessment:


Organizing Your Response

Successful responses start with successful planning, either with an outline or with another form of notes . By planning your response, you greatly decrease the chances that you will forget to answer any part of the question . You increase the chances of creating a well-organized response, which is something the scorers look for . Your note-taking space also gives you a place to jot down thoughts whenever you think of them—for example, when you have an idea about one part of the question while you are writing your response to another part . Like taking time to make sure you understand what the question is asking, planning your response is time well invested, although you must keep track of the time so that you leave sufficient time to write your response .

To illustrate a possible strategy for planning a response, let us focus again on the sample question introduced in the previous section . We analyzed the question and found that it asked for a lesson plan containing several components . You might begin by jotting down those parts on your notes page, leaving space under each . This will ensure that you address each part when you begin writing .



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Sample Notes—Main Parts to Be Answered Here you start by identifying each part of the question:

third-year, high school, 15 to 17 years of age, intermediate range

familiar with several painters, discuss details, personal and professional lives, contributions

3 class periods of 50 minutes each

vocabulary

materials

procedures and activities

assessment

You then might quickly fill out the main ideas you want to address in each part, like this:

Sample Notes—Ideas Under Each Main Part

• third-year, high school, 15 to 17 years of age, intermediate range guiding questions, poster, role-play

• several painters, discuss details, personal and professional lives, contributions 5 reproductions, web search, planning form

• 3 class periods of 50 minutes each 1-give objective, develop questions, 2- lab time, 3- role-play w/ poster

• Vocabulary línea, el espacio, el valor, la textura, el equilibrio

• Materials reproductions, poster question template, computer lab time, Web sources, Planning form

• procedures and activities teams, guiding questions, planning, lab, tenses, oral presentation

• assessment comprehension, rubric, oral, paragraph, single and team grade




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To earn the highest number of points from the scorers, you will need to do all of the following:

• Answer all parts of the question . • Give reasons for your answers . • Demonstrate subject-specific knowledge in your answer . • Refer to the data in the stimulus .

Now look at your notes and add any ideas that would address these characteristics . Notice below the additions that are made .

Sample Notes—With Added IdeasThis is where you use your knowledge of pedagogy . What you put here depends on how much you know about designing an appropriate lesson plan that helps students reach learning objectives . The following are some possible responses

Day 1-• Pass out art terms• Goal-Students select artwork and work in teams to create poster. • T. led class discussion, then write questions in target language (past tense). • T. give examples. • Fill out planning form. Check comprehension as they workDay 2- • Use computer lab for information about artists. • Check planning formDay 3- • Role play asking and answering questions about poster. • Assessment- tenses and paragraph about which artist they liked best. • Team grade- rubric.You have now created the skeleton of your written response .

Writing Your Response

Now the important step of writing your response begins . The scorers will not consider your notes when they score your paper, so it is crucial that you integrate all the important ideas from your notes into your actual written response .

Some test takers believe that every written response on a Praxis test has to be in formal essay form—that is, with an introductory paragraph, then paragraphs with the response to the question, then a concluding paragraph . The lesson plan does not require an essay structure, but there is a sequence in lesson plan design that outlines the steps toward the educational objective in a logical order . You should use techniques that allow you to communicate information efficiently and clearly . For example, you can use bulleted or numbered lists, or a chart, or a combination of essay and chart .



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Tips: Following are some questions to ask to help design an effective lesson plan

• Is the content of the lesson plan appropriate for the age and proficiency level of the students? • Are the instructional procedures and student activities detailed enough so that someone else could teach the lesson? • Is the assessment connected to the learning objective? • Is the sequence of instruction and activities logical?

Scoring the Lesson Plan ResponsesHolistic scoring of test takers responses is done by content experts who have been through a rigorous training and qualifying process . Each response is independently scored by two raters using the rubric shown on the following page . Sample responses and scoring explanations for the Lesson Plan follow .




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PRAXIS World Languages Pedagogy Rubric - Lesson Plan

Score General Description Score Descriptors

3High

A response at this level demonstrates evidence of a high degree of competence in response to the assignment, but it may have a few minor errors .

• Fully addresses and fully elaborates all categories (vocabulary, materials, procedures, and assessment)

• Demonstrates a high degree of content understanding, and all or almost all content information is accurate and well developed

• All teaching techniques described are appropriate for age, grade, and proficiency level

• All materials and activities discussed are appropriate for age, grade, and proficiency level

• Assessment instrument described elicits appropriate information on targeted learning objective

• Response is well organized and generally coherent

2Mid-High

A response at this level demonstrates evidence of competence in response to the assignment, but it has minor errors .

• Addresses all categories (vocabulary, materials, procedures and assessment), but some points are not fully elaborated

• Demonstrates a moderate degree of content understanding, and most content information is accurate

• Most teaching techniques described are appropriate for age, grade, and proficiency level

• Most materials and activities discussed are appropriate for age, grade, and proficiency level

• Assessment instrument described elicits moderate amount of information related to learning objective

• Response is organized, but some parts are not fully developed

1Mid-Low

A response at this level demonstrates evidence of limited competence in response to the assignment and it has one or more major errors .

• Addresses only some of the categories (vocabulary, materials, procedures, and assessment)

• Demonstrates a low degree of content understanding, and only some content information is accurate

• Some of the teaching techniques described are appropriate for age, grade, and proficiency level

• Some materials and activities discussed are appropriate for age, grade, and proficiency level

• Assessment instrument elicits minimal information related to learning objective

• Response is inadequately organized or not sequenced correctly

0Low

A response at this level demonstrates evidence of little or no competence in response to the assignment and it is obviously flawed .

• Addresses almost none of the categories (vocabulary, materials, procedures, and assessment)

• Demonstrates a poor understanding of content, and content information is inaccurate

• Teaching techniques described are not appropriate for age, grade, and proficiency level

• Materials are not connected to procedures, and activities are not appropriate for age, grade, and proficiency level

• Assessment instrument is not described and/or the instrument described does not relate to learning objective

• Response is disorganized



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Following are actual test taker responses at each score point of the rubric that raters use to holistically score each response . Returning to our sample question, see below, in the response that earned a score of 3, how the outline of the response previously discussed can become the final written response .

Sample Response that Received a Score of 3

Vocabulary: art terms in a handout (línea, el espacio, el valor, la textura, el equilibrio) review verbs in past tense and future as needed Materials: 5 reproductions of different artworks from the target culture, poster question template, computer lab time, appropriate Web sources in target language, Planning form Day 1: Students will divide themselves evenly among the 5 reproductions hanging on the class walls. Tell students they are going to work in teams to create one team poster about the artwork. Discuss with them what questions they need to ask about the art. Ask them to write down the questions using the target language (past tense): Ex: Who was the artist? What was the place of birth? Where did the artist work? Why is/was the artist famous? Do you admire the artist? Why or why not? For the rest of the period students will use the Planning form to plan the project. Ask them to write down the following questions using the target language (future tense): What will be needed, what you will know at the end, potential problems-like what new vocabulary is needed, how will I find answers. During group work, check comprehension by looking to see if they wrote the questions correctly you spoke. Day 2: Using the computer lab, students will search appropriate Web sites in the target language for information to complete their poster. Teacher will check their Planning form to assess progress and ask questions about the artists. Day 3: Each student of each team will take turns role-playing asking and answering questions from the poster. Their individual grade will be based on how tenses are used during their portion of the oral presentation and on a short paragraph about which art they liked best. A team grade will be given using a rubric based on the questions about each artist.




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Commentary on Sample Response that Earned a Score of 3This lesson plan contains detailed elements and content of a good lesson: input by the teacher, student activities to process the information, student output after processing, and formative and summative assessment . All techniques and materials are appropriate and combine to support the learning objective . Overall, the response provides evidence of a high degree of competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 3 .


Day 1 I would present information in an engaging way by displaying 3 paintings with an autobiographical sketch next to each artwork. I would talk about each artist’s contributions without saying the name. Students will match what I say to the correct painting through discussion. Day 2 Students will use colored markers to recreate the 3 pictures using paint-by-numbers books written in the target language. Students will label the colors used and parts of the paintings in the target language (blue, red, tree, sky, boat, castle, river, etc.). They will also orally describe which of the paintings they like best and why. Day 3 Students will write a poem describing how they feel about one of the displayed paintings after brainstorming adjectives to use to further define the parts of the artwork (tall green tree, old wooden boat, etc.). They will take a multiple choice quiz about that artist.

Commentary on Sample Response that Earned a Score of 2This lesson plan contains the elements and content of a good lesson: input by the teacher, student activities to process the information, student output after processing, and some form of assessment . All techniques and materials are appropriate except for the paint-by-numbers activity and simplistic vocabulary, which are inappropriate for intermediate proficiency and age . The assessment lacks detail but, overall, the response provides evidence of competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 2 .


I will expose the students to the painter’s art from the culture. I will compare them with some painters from other cultures. I will divide students by groups. The students will look for the style and similar characteristics and differences. The students can also gather the information on the painters’ lives and prepare a presentation to discuss in class. Students will take a quiz about the artists.



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Commentary on Sample Response that Earned a Score of 1This lesson plan contains procedures, activities, and assessment but they lack detail as required by the prompt . Evidence of content is minimal . Vocabulary and materials are missing . Therefore, this response indicates evidence of limited competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 1 .


Day 1 I would place paintings in different parts of the room and would share some common ideas about how to look at and discuss paintings, and would expect students to abide by common courtesies while discussing the paintings. It is important for students to know about art and how people understand culture through art. Day 2-3 Students would then debate which of the paintings has the most value in today’s culture. Grade would be on participation in the debate and observance of etiquette during class.

Commentary on Sample Response that Earned a Score of 0This lesson plan lacks essential elements of an effective plan; vocabulary is missing; teacher input is only about how to critique art and observe common courtesies during discussion . The debate activity is inappropriate for intermediate proficiencies; the assessment is unrelated to the objective . Therefore, this response indicates evidence of little or no competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is 0 .




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Sample Question-Essay

PART E(Suggested time-20 minutes)

Directions: You will be asked to write an essay in English on a specific topic . Write your response in the space provided in the response book .

Make sure that your essay includes reasons and/or examples to support your opinion .

Manage your time so that you allow enough time to plan, write, and revise your essay . Typically, an effective essay will contain a minimum of 150 words .

Imagine that your school awards funds to teachers for professional development . Write an essay to the selection committee describing your professional development plans for the coming year . Be specific about professional conferences or meetings you would like to attend or professional organizations you would like to join, and tell how you and your students would benefit from your activities .

Key Components of the QuestionLet’s look at the question again, as we did for the lesson plan . The key parts of the question will be underlined and explained in the text boxes .

Read the Directions for LogisticsYour response is scored based on completely answering the question and the quality of content in the response, not on whether you use more or less than 20 minutes or 150 words to complete your response to answer all of the aspects of the question . These factors would only negatively impact your score if the raters who are scoring your response cannot find evidence because the response is too brief to provide adequate evidence, poor time management results in an incomplete response, or the response is written in a language other than English .

Read the Directions for content The directions for the essay specify an important aspect of the essay that will be scored: • Include reasons or examples to support your position The quality of the reasons or examples will be part of what determines your score .



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PART E(Suggested time-20 minutes)

Directions: You will be asked to write an essay in English on a specific topic . Write your response in the space provided in the response book .

Make sure that your essay includes reasons and/or examples to support your opinion .

Manage your time so that you allow enough time to plan, write, and revise your essay . Typically, an effective essay will contain a minimum of 150 words .

Read the Prompt for details The prompt provides a scenario that gives specific criteria that should be included in the response . • Funds to teachers for professional development • Write an essay describing your professional development plans for the coming year • Be specific about professional conferences or meetings or professional organizations • Tell how you and your students would benefit from your activities

Understanding what is being asked is vital to planning and writing an effective response .

Imagine that your school awards funds to teachers for professional development . Write an essay to the selection committee describing your professional development plans for the coming year . Be specific about professional conferences or meetings you would like to attend or professional organizations you would like to join, and tell how you and your students would benefit from your activities .

Organizing Your ResponseWe’ll plan this response just as we did with the lesson plan but this time using a basic essay outline would be most appropriate . It is presented here as an example of an effective way to organize and present the position required in the question . You are not required to use this format and your score will not be affected if you chose a different way to answer the question . What’s important is that the presentation of your position is logical, answers all parts of the prompt, and is supported with detailed knowledge .

Tips: Following is an outline for a basic essay . I . Introduction

• Introduce the topic . State your position (opinion) and the opposing position (if one is specified in the prompt) .

II . Body• Build your case by stating each point in your argument followed by supporting reasons and/or

examples for each . For the purposes of the Praxis World Languages Pedagogy test, no specific number of argumentative points is required .

III . Conclusion• Restate your position and summarize the main idea(s) of your argument .




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To illustrate a possible strategy for planning a response, let us focus again on the sample question introduced in the previous section . We analyzed the question and found that it asked for an essay about professional development and how your choices would benefit your students . You might begin by jotting down those parts on your notes page, leaving space under each . This will ensure that you address each part when you begin writing .

Sample Notes—Main Parts to be Answered Here you start by identifying each part of the question:

• describe plans

• specific meetings/organizations

• student benefits

You then might quickly fill out the main ideas you want to address in each part, like this:

Sample Notes—Ideas Under Each Main Part

• describe plans conferences and organizations• specific meetings/organizations

multiple intelligences, incorporate culture in classes, teacher discussion group

• student benefits help students learn best, boost interest

To earn the highest number of points from the scorers, you will need to do all of the following:

• Answer all parts of the question . • Give reasons for your answers . • Demonstrate subject-specific knowledge in your answer . • Refer to the data in the stimulus .

Now look at your notes and add any ideas that would address these characteristics . Notice on the following page the additions that are made .



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Sample Notes—With Added Ideas This is where you use your knowledge of pedagogy and can use the essay outline . What you put here depends on how much you know about supporting student learning with pedagogically sound reasoning and supportive details . The following is a possible outline:

I. Introduction A. attend conferences to improve my teachingII. Body A. Conference-multiple intelligences

1. why- new ways to reach all students B. Conference- incorporate culture

1. why-help boost student participation and interest C. teacher organization- discussion group

1. teach classes betterIII. Conclusion A. student interest and new ways to reach studentsYou have now created the skeleton of your written response .

Writing Your Response

Now the important step of writing your response begins . The scorers will not consider your notes when they score your paper, so it is crucial that you integrate all the important ideas from your notes into your actual written response .

This is one of the few Praxis tests where crafting a response in formal essay form—that is, with an introductory paragraph, then paragraphs with the response to the question, then a concluding paragraph, is part of the requirements of the question . Test takers are not required to use the exact essay examples shown, but keep in mind that the question is crafted so that it fits an essay format . You should use techniques that allow you to communicate information efficiently and clearly . For example, you can include bulleted or numbered lists, or a chart, or a combination of essay and chart .

Tips: Following are some questions to ask to help design an effective essay .

• Is there an introduction and conclusion that is connected to the argument(s)? • Are all requirements of the question addressed? • Is each argument made supported with sound pedagogical reasoning and/or examples?




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Scoring the Essay ResponsesHere is the rubric for the essay . Sample responses and scoring explanations for the essay follow .

PRAXIS World Languages Pedagogy Rubric - Essay


3High


• Fully addresses and completes the task• Clearly demonstrates a high degree of understanding of the

content required by the question• All content information is accurate and well developed• All or almost all supporting details or examples are

appropriate and effective• Response is well organized and generally coherent

2Mid-High

A response at this level demonstrates evidence ofcompetence in response tothe assignment, but it has minor errors .

• Addresses and completes the task • Demonstrates a moderate degree of understanding of the

content required by the question• Most content information is accurate• Most supporting details or examples are appropriate and

effective• Response is organized, but some parts are not fully

developed

1Mid-Low

A response at this level demonstrates evidence of limited competence in response to the assignment and it has one or more major errors .

• Addresses and completes the task• Demonstrates a low degree of understanding of the content

required by the question• Some content information is accurate• Some supporting details or examples are vague, not well

defined, not appropriate, or not effective• Response is inadequately organized or not sequenced

correctly

0Low

A response at this level demonstrates evidence of little or no competence in response to the assignment and it is obviously flawed .

• Partially addresses and/or partially completes the task• Demonstrates a poor understanding of the content required

by the question• Most content information is inaccurate• Most supporting details or examples are irrelevant, not

effective, or missing • Response is disorganized

Following are actual test taker responses at each score point of the rubric that raters use to holistically score each response . Returning to our sample question, see on the following page in the response that earned a score of 3, how the outline of the response previously discussed can become the final written response .



CHAPTER 7



I plan on attending many conferences this year to improve myself as a teacher. There is a conferences over fall break on integrating multiple intelligences into your high school classroom. It is a two day conference that has many wonderful speakers scheduled to attend. I feel like I would benefit from this conference by learning new ways to reach all of my students in the way that best helps them learn. The second conference I plan to attend is over spring break and it is on incorporating culture in your language classroom. I feel there are so many ways for my students to get involved in the target language community but they’re not interested. I believe this conference will help me boost their interest. There is a target language teachers organization that meets once a month that I am interested in joining. It is just a group of teachers that meet and give each other advice and ideas on how to teach our classes better. My choices for professional development will boost student interest and provide me with several new avenues to reach all of my students. Thank you for considering me for this opportunity.

Commentary on Sample Response that Earned a Score of 3This response contains the elements of a good essay: thesis statement, specific requests (description of conferences), and supporting details . Professional development plans, specific conferences, logical reasons, and how the teacher and students will benefit are evident in the response . This essay demonstrates evidence of a high degree of competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 3 .


I am grateful for the opportunities I have to better my teaching and further benefit the students at our school. This year affords many exceptional venues for learning that will allow me to develop my classroom techniques and, consequently, increase the quality of our institution. There are a number of conferences this year which will greatly benefit our language program. The Southwest Regional Language Fair should be a remarkable opportunity to improve my skills in promoting integrated skills, which will improve our reputation (and help our students). I will also apply for the Foreign Language Teachers Association which will provide a wide variety of ideas which can be incorporated into the classroom. These conferences and organizations offer unique materials for use in the classroom, and help keep ideas fresh, innovative, and in touch with current academic trends. They also put teachers in contact with each other so that they can share ideas and integrate them into the classroom.




CHAPTER 7


As a teacher, it is crucial to continue learning and adapting in order to maintain a healthy environment of development and progression. These programs will benefit our school and encourage continual academic improvement in the classroom.

Commentary on Sample Response that Earned a Score of 2This response contains the elements of a good essay: thesis statement, specific description of conferences, and some specific details . Professional development plans, specific conferences, reasons for attending, and benefits for the teacher and students are evident in the response; some are less developed than others . Overall, this essay demonstrates evidence of competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 2 .


While planning for the upcoming academic year, I plan to implement new strategies to help my students excel scholastically. By attending teacher’s conventions and school board meetings, along with keeping up to date on current events and pop culture, I can develop teaching methods that will capture students’ interest. By attending these enhancement courses and attending meetings, I think that I can capture those students that perhaps are not learning from traditional teaching methods.

Commentary on Sample Response that Earned a Score of 1This response contains some of the elements of an essay: thesis statement, description of conferences, but no specific details . Professional development plans are valid but general . School board meetings are not an appropriate venue for developing teaching strategies . Reasons for using current events and pop culture is a valid technique but undeveloped . Overall, this essay demonstrates evidence of limited competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 1 .


Thank you for reviewing my application. I would like to inform you about my professional development plans for the coming year. I am writing a research article on the importance of diversity in pedagogy. I am going to present my article at the annual convention of Across the Disciplines: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Language, Learning, and Academic Writing. Furthermore, I am also going to chair a program that holds contests among school students and raises awareness. I will be grateful if I get the funding for my plans.



CHAPTER 7


Commentary on Sample Response that Earned a Score of 0This response is missing the supportive elements of a good essay . Professional development plans are described but no reasons, examples, student or teacher benefits are evident as required by the prompt . Overall, this essay demonstrates evidence of little or no competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is 0 .

In ConclusionWhatever format you select, the important thing is that your answer be thorough, complete, and detailed . You need to be certain that you do the following:

◾ Answer all parts of the question .

◾ Give reasons for your answers .

◾ Demonstrate subject-specific knowledge in your answer .

◾ Refer to the data in the stimulus .

It is a good idea to use the practice test in the next chapter to help you develop a plan for how you will take the test on the actual testing day, especially if you tend to get nervous or tend to freeze up in a testing situation . You may start with either constructed response question . Whatever format you select for your lesson plan and essay, the important thing is that your answer be thorough, complete, and detailed .




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Chapter 8Succeeding on the Constructed-Response Questions



CHAPTER 8


This chapter provides advice for maximizing your success on the constructed-response sections of the World Languages Pedagogy test, with special focus on the scoring guides and procedures used by the scorers . Chapters 7 and 8 offer step-by-step strategies for working through questions, lists of the topics covered, and a list of sources you can use to prepare .

Advice from the expertsScorers who have scored hundreds of real tests were asked to give advice to teacher candidates planning to take the World Language Pedagogy test . The scorers’ advice boiled down to the practical pieces of advice described below .

1. Read and answer the question accurately. Be sure to dissect the parts of the question and analyze what each part is asking you to do . If the question asks you to describe or discuss, keep those requirements in mind when composing your response—do not just give a list .

2. Answer everything that is asked in the question. This seems simple, but many test takers fail to provide a complete response . If a question asks you to do three distinct things in your response, don’t give a response to just two of those things . No matter how well you write about those two things, the scorers will not award you full credit .

3. Give a thorough and detailed response. Your response must indicate to the scorers that you have a thorough understanding of the applicable principles and guidelines related to teaching world languages . The scorers will not read into your response any information that is not specifically stated . If something is not written, they do not know that you know it and will not give you credit for it .

A word of caution: Superfluous writing will obscure your points and will make it difficult for the scorers to be confident of your full understanding of the material . Be straightforward in your response . Do not try to impress the scorers . If you do not know the answer, you cannot receive full credit, but if you do know the answer, provide enough information to convince the scorers that you have a full understanding of the topic .

4. Do not change the question or challenge the basis of the question. Stay focused on the question that is asked . You will receive no credit or, at best, a low score if you choose to answer another question or if you state, for example, that there is no possible answer . Answer the question by addressing the fundamental issues . Do not venture off-topic to demonstrate your particular field of expertise if it is not specifically related to the question . This undermines the impression that you understand the concept adequately .

5. Reread your response, both to improve your writing (for the Essays test) and to check that you have written what you thought you wrote. Frequently, sentences are left unfinished or

clarifying information is omitted .




CHAPTER 8


The General Scoring Guides for the World Languages Pedagogy (0841) TestThe scorers’ advice on the preceding page corresponds with the official scoring criteria used at scoring sessions . It is a good idea to be familiar with the scoring rubrics so that you can maximize your success and spend your time on things that matter (e .g ., demonstrating understanding of the selection and providing good examples) rather than spending time on things that don’t matter (e .g ., writing a very long essay, making copious citations) .

The following scoring rubrics provide the overarching framework for scoring the questions in the World Languages Pedagogy constructed-response questions .

Each question on the constructed-response portion of the test is scored on a scale from 0 to 3 . The response is considered in its entirety when the scorer assigns the score . There are two constructed-response questions and a separate scoring guide for each one .

General Scoring GuideThis scoring guide is used to evaluate responses to Lesson Plan questions . The score range is 0 to 3 .

As you review the general scoring guides, you will note that all of the guides are formatted in the same way and use the same scoring scale of 3 to 0 . For each score there is a general statement indicating the level of understanding of the content areas covered by the test specifications for that particular type of question . The following levels of understanding remain consistent across the different general scoring guides while the content areas change:

• score of 3—high degree of competence

• score of 2—competence

• score of 1—limited competence

• score of 0—little or no competence

• OT—Off Topic . Response does not address the question and is unscoreable .

• NL—Not in the language required . Response is written in a language other than English and is unscoreable .

• BB—Blank . No attempt is made to answer the question

Following the general statement is a description of a “typical response .” The initial descriptors will always identify the specific types of knowledge required to answer the questions . Although the general scoring guides list multiple areas of knowledge, not all of these may be appropriate for every question . Like the levels of understanding, the levels of knowledge for each score remain consistent in each of the general scoring guides . The last three descriptors for each score are also consistent in each of the general scoring guides .



CHAPTER 8


Question 46: Lesson Plan


Score General Description Lesson Plan

3High








2Mid-High


• Addresses all categories (vocabulary, materials, procedures, and assessment), but some points are not fully elaborated






1Mid-Low

A response at this leveldemonstrates evidence oflimited competence in responseto the assignment and it has oneor more major errors .







0Low

A response at this leveldemonstrates evidence of littleor no competence in responseto the assignment and it isobviously flawed .










CHAPTER 8


Question 47: Essay



3High


• Fully addresses and completes the task • Clearly demonstrates a high degree of understanding of the

content required by the question • All content information is accurate and well developed • All or almost all supporting details or examples are

appropriate and effective • Response is well organized and generally coherent

2Mid-High



content required by the question • Most content information is accurate • Most supporting details or examples are appropriate and

effective • Response is organized, but some parts are not fully

developed

1Mid-Low




defined, not appropriate or not effective• Response is inadequately organized or not sequenced

correctly

0Low

A response at this leveldemonstrates evidence of littleor no competence in responseto the assignment and it is obviously flawed .



effective, or missing• Response is disorganized



▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Chapter 9Constructed-Response Practice Questions




CHAPTER 9


Now that you have studied the content topics and have worked through strategies relating to constructed-response questions, you should take the following practice test . You will probably find it helpful to simulate actual testing conditions, giving yourself 60 minutes to work on the questions . You can use scrap paper to answer the questions .

Keep in mind that the test you take at an actual administration will have different questions .

When you have finished the practice questions, you can score your answers and read the explanations of the best answer choices in chapter 10 .



Page 80 No FolioPage 80 No Folio

Time—60 Minutes

2 Questions

(Note, at the official test administration, there will be 2 questions,and you will be allowed 60 minutes to complete the test.)

TEST NAME:

Section II

Practice Constructed-Response Questions




CHAPTER 9


PARTD−Lesson Plan(Suggested time—40minutes)

Question 46

Directions:Youwill be given a scenario to design a lesson.Your response should be written in English.It should be grade appropriate and should address the objective given.Write your response in the spaceprovided in the response book.

Make sure that you include the following information in your lesson:Vocabulary you will include in the lessonMaterials you will use in the lessonDetailed description of procedures and activities that will be part of the lessonInformal or formal assessment or evaluation of students’ learning

Manage your time so that you allow enough time to plan, write, and revise your response. Typically, aneffective response will contain a minimum of 200 words.

Assume that you are teaching a third-year, high school foreign language class.Your students are from 15 to 17years of age. Most students are estimated to be in the Intermediate High range, as described in theACTFLProficiency Guidelines. Design an instructional unit based on a popular story or book from the target culture.At the end of the unit, students will use the target language to narrate and discuss a succession of events thatoccurred in the story.Your unit will cover three class periods of 50minutes each.

School Grade: Third year, high school

Student Profile: 15-17 years of age

Proficiency Level: Intermediate High range in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines

Theme/Topic: Story or book from the target culture

Objective: Students will use the target language to narrate and discuss asuccession of events that occurred in the story

Length of Unit: 3 class periods of 50 minutes each

Vocabulary:

Procedures/Activities:

Assessment:




CHAPTER 9


PARTE−Essay(Suggested time—20minutes)

Question 47

Directions:Youwill be asked to write an essay in English on a specific topic.Write your response in thespace provided in the response book.

Make sure that your essay includes reasons and/or examples to support your opinion.

Manage your time so that you allow enough time to plan, write, and revise your essay. Typically, an effectiveessay will contain a minimum of 150 words.

Your school district has used the following scoring rubric for a long time to evaluate students’ oral performance.You have some problems with the rubric, so you ask to serve on a committee that will make changes.Write anessay describing the problems you see and explain the changes you think need to be made.




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Chapter 10Sample Responses for the Constructed-Response Questions and How They Were Scored



CHAPTER 10


This chapter presents actual sample responses to the questions in the practice test in chapter 9 and explanations for the scores they received .

As discussed in chapter 8, each constructed-response question on the World Languages Pedagogy test is scored on a scale from 0 to 3 . The general scoring guides used to score these questions are similar to each other and are reprinted here for your convenience .

General Scoring Guides• score of 3—high degree of competence

• score of 2—competence

• score of 1—limited competence

• score of 0—little or no competence

• OT—Off Topic . Response does not address the question and is unscoreable .

• NL—Not in the language required . Response is written in a language other than English and is unscoreable .

• BB—Blank . No attempt is made to answer the question




CHAPTER 10




3High








2Mid-High


• Addresses all categories (vocabulary, materials, procedures, and assessment), but some points are not fully elaborated






1Mid-Low








0Low










CHAPTER 10




3High


• Fully addresses and completes the task • Clearly demonstrates a high degree of understanding of the

content required by the question • All content information is accurate and well developed • All or almost all supporting details or examples are

appropriate and effective • Response is well organized and generally coherent

2Mid-High



content required by the question • Most content information is accurate • Most supporting details or examples are appropriate and

effective • Response is organized, but some parts are not fully

developed

1Mid-Low




defined, not appropriate or not effective• Response is inadequately organized or not sequenced

correctly

0Low




effective, or missing• Response is disorganized




CHAPTER 10


Question 46: Lesson Plan

We will now look at four scored responses to Question 46 and see comments about why each response received the score it did .

Question 46 – Sample Responses

Sample A: Score of 3

Vocabulary : I will give a handout with new vocabulary (la récré, les copains, la maîtresse, la tartine, etc…).We will review verbs in past tense as needed. I will ask the students how to conjugate past verbs (“quel est le passé compose de marcher?” “Quel est le passé composé de « sortir » ? ”)Materials: 2 pages short story from “Le Petit Nicolas” / handout with past tenses formation summary / handout with sequence exercise/ handout with vocabulary and past tenses verbs to be used during the role-playDay 1: The students read half the story out loud. I will suggest pronunciation of difficult words. I will ask the students to identify and underline the verbs at past tenses in the text. Next, I will provide a handout with the sequence of events not in order. In groups of 5, the students will try to put the sequence back in order. In groups of 5, the students discuss and compare the text with their own experience. The ideas are shared during class discussion. I ask questions to guide their answers: “Is the text representative of a typical school day? of students dynamics? Is the text funny? Why or why not?”Day 2 : The students read the rest of the story out loud. I suggest pronunciation of hard words. In groups of 5, the students have to write a brief summary of the story in the past tense. I will collect this assignment and grade it at home. In groups of 5, the students then create a set of discussion and comprehension questions that will be given to another group. Each group then answers the set of questions created by another group, and then corrects the set of questions they created. Day 3: In groups, the students develop a role-play based on the story. I give them a short list of vocabulary and past tenses verbs that they need to incorporate in their role play. They present it to the class and get points whenever they use – appropriately- a word or verb from the list. They get a group grade according to the number of words they’ve incorporated.



CHAPTER 10


Commentary on Sample A:This lesson plan contains detailed elements and content of a good lesson: input by the teacher, student activities to process the information, student output after processing, and formative and summative assessment . All techniques and materials are appropriate to the age and language proficiency of the students and they support the learning objective . Overall, the lesson plan provides evidence of a high degree of competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 3 .

Sample B: Score of 2

Day 1: The teacher presents an introduction to Mexican folktales. The teacher then gives the students a handout with the Mexican legend Los novios, the story of the creation of the volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl and a handout with new vocabulary. Then they read the story and ask questions. The teacher writes verbs from the story on the board and the students conjugate them in the past. Day 2: Students are divided into groups. The teacher asks them to compare the story with a story they know. “What is the atmosphere of the story? How is the ending different?” Each group discusses this, and then discusses the moral of the story. The teacher asks about the purpose of folktales in general, and of this one in particular. The students comment on it.Day 3: In groups, the students imagine a modern version of the story. They rewrite the story in a modern context using at least ten verbs in the past. The teacher collects the works for grading. A quiz is given to assess reading comprehension, vocabulary, and to verify verb conjugation skills.

Commentary of Sample BThis lesson plan contains the elements and content of a good lesson: input by the teacher, student activities to process the information, student output after processing, and some form of assessment . However, vocabulary is not specified and just limited to verb conjugations . Although materials are not listed separately, they are mentioned within the activities . The lesson plan demonstrates evidence of competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 2 .




CHAPTER 10


Sample C: Score of 1

I will give a one page story from a German magazine, Brigitte. The story is about a significant event that marked the life of a woman. The students read the story and I ask questions to check comprehension. The students say what they think about it. They find past tense verbs in the story. I tell them that their task is now to write a similar story about a famous German person.The next day, the students use the lab to research a German person of their choice.The third day, the students present orally their person. They receive a grade for their presentation.

Commentary of Sample CThis lesson plan contains procedures, activities, and assessment but they lack detail as required by the prompt . Evidence of content is minimal . Vocabulary is missing and although materials are included, their description is very limited . There is little support from the teacher to enable students to accomplish the learning objective . Therefore, this response indicates evidence of limited competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 1 .

Sample D: Score of 0

I will give a list of verbs to be conjugated in the past. The students write down what they did the day before. They discuss it in groups. Then, students read a legend from the target culture as homework. Students recreate the story and present it to the class. Students take a quiz about the verbs.

Commentary of Sample DThis lesson plan lacks essential elements of an effective plan; vocabulary is missing . Most categories are treated very vaguely . The activities and teaching techniques are not appropriate for the learning objective . In addition, the assessment does not relate to the given objective . Therefore, this response indicates evidence of little or no competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is 0 .



CHAPTER 10


Question 47: Essay

We will now look at four scored responses to Question 47 and see comments from the scoring leader about why each response received the score it did .

Question 47 – Sample Responses

Sample E: Score of 3

Although the rubric does break down the task into various areas, the expectations for each point value are not defined. Under each category, there should be outlined what performance earns each score. For example, under the category “Fluency”, the only guiding statements are ‘halting’ at the bottom of the scale and ‘fluent’ at the top. What, though, defines these two terms? They are extremely vague and offer little guidance into how that particular student should be graded. Better would be a break down of components that make the rate either fluent or halting, such as: 5 points-The student is able to speak at a native or near native rate with no hesitations. The speaker makes no pauses to grasp for words and never slips into English. 4 points- Speaks at a relatively good pace but pauses every now and again to collect thoughts, a few English words are included. 3 points- The student must frequently pause between thoughts. Much English is used to compensate and the student needs some prompting from the instructor. 2 points- The speaker has great difficulty connecting thoughts and must often revert to English. The instructor must frequently supply needed words and help redirect the statements. This rubric is also flawed in that it is not specific to the task. What grammar is being focused on in the evaluations? Which vocabulary is the student required to use? Rather than simply stating ‘Vocabulary’, the rubric should say something like: The student is comfortable with the vocabulary for the rooms of the house and is able to describe three chores in every room using a variety of verbs. rather than ‘Grammar’, the rubric should state: The student is familiar with the articles and can use them correctly in the nominative and accusative cases. If these changes were implemented, fair and unbiased grading could be fostered. Also, students would gain better feedback in understanding how they scored and the exact reasons for the score.




CHAPTER 10


Commentary on Sample E:This response contains the elements of a good essay: thesis statement, content examples, supporting details, and a conclusion that summarizes the benefits of making the changes suggested . Problems are defined in detail as are solutions, providing evidence of a strong connection between rubric use and foreign language learning . This essay demonstrates evidence of a high degree of competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 3 .

Sample F: Score of 2

This rubric could present many problems if used generally or as an oral presentation rubric. Its descriptors are too vague. For example the first item labeled “fluency” needs to be clarified. Specific criterion needs to be established for each point value. The same holds true for each topic on the rubric. What constitutes fluency? What constitutes “simple” vocabulary words? Moreover, it would be helpful for this rubric to be tailored to each oral presentation. In doing so, teachers would pinpoint specific grammar, vocab, etc. areas for focus. Clarification of all categories would eliminate confusion among students as to what exactly they need to do in order to earn a certain score. As is, this rubric is too holistic and subjective.

Commentary on Sample F:This response contains most elements of an essay: an introduction, specific identification of problems and some specific support for why . The response, however, provides solutions that are undeveloped, having no supportive details . Overall, this essay demonstrates evidence of competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 2 .

Sample G: Score of 1

The rubric being used to evaluate students’ oral performance contains major flaws, both of which needs to be changed. The first problem with the rubric is the fluency evaluation section. This section is flawed because there are different levels of fluency. One may study a language for years, but never reach the fluency level of native speakers. Therefore, I believe that this section is unclear and needs to be more specific as to the level of fluency. The second problem with this rubric is the pronunciation section. In any given language there are many dialects, meaning that there are many different, yet correct pronunciation. Therefore, I believe that the rubric needs to take into account the pronunciations of all forms of the language, instead of creating a universal pronunciation key.



CHAPTER 10


Commentary on Sample G:This response contains some of the elements of an essay: thesis statement, problem and supporting statements . However, the reasoning and solutions are overbroad and vague . It is incorrect to assume that a dialect would be counted as an error . Overall, this essay demonstrates evidence of limited competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is a 1 .

Sample H: Score of 0

The problems that I can see in the rubric is the fact that in a foreign language class setting, mistakes should not be on a scale to evaluate the performance of a student. The arrangement is too simple and is inappropriate to reflect correctly the manner of teaching a foreign language. The changes that are probably needed for the rubric are to involve more the opinion of the teacher and ask them to write down at least the good points and bad points on the evaluation and then do a scale if they want to compare each student’s level.

Commentary on Sample H:This response correctly identifies a problem with the rubric but provides a solution that misunderstands the purpose of a scoring rubric . Rubrics are designed to measure performance or knowledge against a set of standards and are not used to compare student performances . Further, a scoring rubric, used properly, encourages decisions made on objective criteria, not personal opinion . The response is also missing details that might support the opinions . Overall, this essay demonstrates evidence of little or no competence in response to the assignment . Therefore, the score is 0 .




▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Chapter 11Are You Ready? Last-Minute Tips



CHAPTER 11


Checklist

❏ Do you know the testing requirements for your teaching field in the state(s) where you plan to teach?

❏ Have you followed all of the test registration procedures?

❏ Do you know the topics that will be covered in each test you plan to take?

❏ Have you reviewed any textbooks, class notes, and course readings that relate to the topics covered?

❏ Do you know how long the test will take and the number of questions it contains? Have you considered how you will pace your work?

❏ Are you familiar with the test directions and the types of questions for the test?

❏ Are you familiar with the recommended test-taking strategies and tips?

❏ Have you practiced by working through the practice test questions at a pace similar to that of an actual test?

❏ If you are repeating this Praxis test, have you analyzed your previous score report to determine areas where additional study and test preparation could be useful?

Complete this checklist to determine whether you’re ready to take the test .




CHAPTER 11


The Day of the TestYou should have ended your review a day or two before the actual test date . And many clichés you may have heard about the day of the test are true . You should:

◾ Be well rested;

◾ Take photo identification with you;

◾ Take a supply of well-sharpened #2 pencils (at least three) if you are taking a multiple-choice test;

◾ Take blue or black ink pens if you are taking a constructed-response test;

◾ Eat before you take the test to keep your energy level up;

◾ Be prepared to stand in line to check in or to wait while other test takers are being checked in .

You can’t control the testing situation, but you can control yourself . Stay calm . The supervisors are well trained and make every effort to provide uniform testing conditions, but don’t let it bother you if the test doesn’t start exactly on time . You will have the necessary amount of time once it does start .

You can think of preparing for this test as training for an athletic event . Once you’ve trained, and prepared, and rested, give it everything you’ve got . Good luck .



▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Appendix AStudy Plan Sheet




APPENDIX A


Study Plan SheetSee chapter 1 for suggestions on using this Study Plan Sheet .

Content covered on test

How well do I know the content?

What material do I have for studying

this content?

What material do I need for studying

this content?

Where could I find the materials

I need?

Dates completed

Dates planned for study of content

STUDY PLAN



▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Appendix BFor More Information




APPENDIX B


For More InformationEducational Testing Service offers additional information to assist you in preparing for The Praxis Series™ Assessments . Tests at a Glance booklets and the Registration Bulletin are both available without charge . You can also obtain more information from our website: http://www.ets.org/praxis .

General InquiriesPhone: 800-772-9476 or 609-771-7395 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 A .M . to 7:45 P .M ., Eastern Time)Fax: 973-735-0384 or 609-530-0581

Extended TimeIf you have a learning disability or if English is not your primary language, you can apply to be given more time to take your test . The Registration Bulletin tells you how you can qualify for extended time .

Disability ServicesPhone: 866-387-8602 or 609-771-7780 (Monday–Friday, 8:30 A .M . to 5:00 P .M ., Eastern Time)Fax: 973-735-0384 or 609-530-0581TTY (for deaf or hard-of-hearing callers): 609-771-7714

Mailing AddressETS—The Praxis Series P .O . Box 6051 Princeton, NJ 08541-6051

Overnight Delivery AddressETS—The Praxis Series Distribution Center 225 Phillips Blvd . P .O . Box 77435 Ewing, NJ 08628-7435



ets.org/praxisStudyGuide

$22.95 USA

Copyright © 2011 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., PPST and PRAXIS III are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the United States and other countries. THE PRAXIS SERIES is a trademark of ETS. 10212

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