Test Design and 
Test Framework

Field 250: English as a New Language

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The test design below describes general test information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

Format	Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions	100 multiple-choice questions
Time*	3 hours, 15 minutes
Passing Score	240

*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial

Test Framework

Subarea 1 — Foundations of ENL Instruction

Objective 0001—Understand language as an integrative system.

For example:

• Recognize that language is an integrative system made up of various components (e.g., phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, discourse, pragmatics).
• Apply knowledge of phonology and phonetics (e.g., analyzing patterns of sound, stress, rhythm, and intonation), morphology (e.g., analyzing a word's structure and function), syntax (e.g., analyzing the grammatical structure of phrases and sentences), semantics (e.g., analyzing word and sentence meanings), and pragmatics (e.g., analyzing the sociocultural context of a communicative act, including how context affects a speaker's/writer's language choices and a listener's/reader's interpretation of language).
• Apply knowledge of discourse (e.g., analyzing oral and written language with respect to cohesion, coherence), including discourse features (e.g., transition words and phrases) and rhetorical patterns characteristic of oral and written English.
• Apply knowledge of the components of language in relevant instructional contexts (e.g., analyzing features of academic language required for a particular academic task at the word/phrase, sentence, and discourse levels).
• Recognize the importance of providing English Learners with models of proficient English and of serving as a good language model for students.
• Identify distinguishing features of the six levels of English-language proficiency as defined by the state-adopted English Language Development (ELD) Standards (i.e., Level 1–entering, Level 2–emerging, Level 3–developing, Level 4–expanding, Level 5–bridging, and Level 6–reaching).
• Recognize the existence of alternate English language development standards (e.g., TESOL, International Literacy Association [ILA]).

Objective 0002—Understand language acquisition and development, including variables that may affect the process of learning a new language.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of main concepts, assumptions, principles, debates, and theories central to teaching students for whom English is a new language.
• Demonstrate knowledge of language acquisition as a constructive process, language learning as an interactive process, and literacy as a developmental process, which is a necessary aspect of first- and additional-language learning.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the influence of conceptual frameworks and previous experiences on learning content through a non-English language.
• Analyze the relationship between language and life and career applications, and recognize effective ways to facilitate learning experiences that make connections among English and home/native language proficiency, content-area knowledge, and life and career experiences.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the ways home/native language, prior knowledge, and educational background influence the transfer of knowledge from one language to another.
• Recognize ways students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of mind through the use of home/native language and an additional language.
• Demonstrate knowledge of human development as mediated by language and culture and the range of individual variation within each domain.
• Demonstrate knowledge of factors that influence language development and learning (e.g., culture, socioeconomic status, emotional and cognitive development).

Objective 0003—Understand culture as it relates to language acquisition and content learning.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the acculturation process, the ways it affects students' development, and instructional strategies for facilitating the learning of culture.
• Identify strategies for incorporating students' home/native language and culture in the design, planning, and implementation of a multicultural school climate.
• Identify strategies for creating a learning community in which cultural differences are respected and celebrated, including strategies for mediating cross-cultural conflicts and for teaching collaborative skills to students.
• Demonstrate knowledge of cultural dynamics and community diversity and their effect on students' educational needs, and recognize that levels of cultural identity vary among English Learners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and resources for learning about world cultures, particularly about the cultures of English Learners, in order to integrate different ways of learning and different cultural perspectives into ENL instruction.
• Identify effective ways to use information about students' families, cultures, and communities to inform and enrich instruction, connect learning to students' experiences, and promote a multicultural school climate.
• Recognize that differences between the U.S. educational system and those of other countries and/or cultures have an impact on approaches to learning and performance, and how these differences interact with development.
• Recognize appropriate uses of instructional experiences that facilitate students' adaptation to U.S. society while validating and maintaining the students' own cultures.

Objective 0004—Understand approaches to learning that address the diversity of the ENL student population and meet varied student needs.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of different approaches to learning and performance (e.g., learning styles, multiple intelligences) and the ways in which individual differences (e.g., experiences, talents, language, culture, family and community values, possible disabilities) influence student learning.
• Identify strategies for creating a learning community in which individual differences are respected.
• Recognize appropriate provisions for English Learners (e.g., response modes, time for work) based on individual learning differences and needs.
• Demonstrate the knowledge that differences exist between language acquisition and learning challenges.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for creating meaningful classroom experiences and accessing services and resources that are appropriate for English Learners who require differentiation (e.g., Individualized Education Program [IEP], gifted and talented, 504 Accommodations Plan).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the needs of students with interrupted formal education (SIFE), who have no formal education, or who are illiterate.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for differentiating lessons to provide appropriate levels of instruction to meet the needs of a culturally and linguistically diverse student body.
• Demonstrate knowledge of instructional strategies and methods (e.g., thematic units) used to develop English Learners' in-depth conceptual understanding, and ways to adjust instruction to facilitate optimal learning for all students.
• Apply knowledge of research-based best-practiced methods and resources for supporting English Learners' varied needs (e.g., scaffolding, Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol [SIOP], visual supports).

Subarea 2 — Planning, Implementing, and Managing ENL Instruction

Objective 0005—Understand instructional planning appropriate to English Learners.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of state-adopted learning standards, curriculum development, subject-area content, and learning theory; and effective ways to apply principles of scope and sequence when planning curriculum and instruction.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for developing short- and long-range plans consistent with curriculum goals, students' diversity, and learning theory to achieve expectations for student learning; and how to achieve learning goals and make instructional modifications to meet students' needs.
• Recognize the importance of students' background (e.g., social, cultural, educational), development, language proficiency, interests, and career needs in planning instruction.
• Identify methods for incorporating students' multicultural experiences into instructional practices that relate to the students' current life experiences and to future college and career experiences (e.g., by creating real-world experiences for students).
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for adjusting instructional plans based on students' responses, prior content-area knowledge, and other contingencies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for using a student's home/native language as a tool for advancing learning.
• Demonstrate knowledge of teaching and learning strategies that engage students in active learning opportunities that foster critical thinking, problem solving, and performance capabilities.

Objective 0006—Understand strategies for implementing and managing instruction that facilitate English Learners' language development and content learning.

For example:

• Demonstrate understanding of the need to use, analyze, and evaluate research-based best practices.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for engaging students by using methods that are appropriate for students for whom English is a new language.
• Demonstrate knowledge of cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning, ways in which these processes can be fostered, and ways to apply strategies for making instructional modifications to meet the needs of English Learners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for creating multiple learning activities that provide different pathways for learning; incorporate multiple language modalities; and allow for variation in students' learning styles, performance modes, and levels of English-language proficiency.
• Demonstrate knowledge of various ways to use content as a means for language learning and development.
• Recognize principles, advantages, and limitations of various instructional strategies, strategies for establishing high expectations for student learning in content areas and language, and methods for achieving instructional goals.
• Recognize the uses of differing viewpoints, methods of inquiry, and complexities of language in teaching subject matter concepts and the relationship between content-area disciplines and instruction for English Learners.
• Identify disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to learning and the interconnection among subject areas as they relate to life and career experiences for English Learners.
• Identify strategies for introducing concepts and principles at different levels of competency and providing opportunities for students to reflect and build upon their prior knowledge to gain in-depth academic knowledge and language proficiency (e.g., English, non-English).
• Identify strategies ENL teachers can use to provide appropriate levels of instruction and to adjust instruction in response to student feedback.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to vary one's role in the instructional process (e.g., instructor, facilitator, coach, audience) in relation to the content and purposes of instruction and the needs of English Learners.

Objective 0007—Understand how to establish an inclusive, safe, and linguistically and culturally rich ENL learning environment.

For example:

• Recognize ways that individuals influence groups, the ways groups function in a multicultural environment, and the social and political issues that surround and affect the educational process of English Learners.
• Recognize principles of and strategies for effective classroom management by minimizing inter- and intra-group friction and fostering understanding and respect among all cultural groups, as well as various ways to help students work cooperatively and productively in groups.
• Identify strategies for organizing, allocating, and managing time, materials, and physical space to engage all students in productive tasks.
• Recognize how cultural and linguistic factors that influence engagement in the learning process can be used to help students increase active participation in their learning.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for creating a smoothly functioning learning community in which culturally and linguistically diverse students assume responsibility for themselves and one another, participate in decision making, and work collaboratively and independently.
• Identify approaches to creating an atmosphere in which culturally and linguistically diverse students feel welcomed, valued, respected, confident, and challenged; and which enhances social relationships, mutual respect, cooperation, and students' motivation, including involving students in appropriate instructional activities that allow for the assessment and development of social skills.

Objective 0008—Understand the selection, adaptation, and use of ENL instructional resources for various purposes.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for identifying, reviewing, and using inclusive, non-biased resources and materials, and of various methods for evaluating their accuracy, linguistic complexity, and usefulness.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to facilitate learning through the use of a wide variety of materials (e.g., books, visual aids, props, realia, human and technological resources).
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to integrate technology into classroom instruction to help meet English Learners' language and content learning needs and to build students' competence and confidence in the use of technology.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to use conventional and technological means of communication, and the uses of communicative tools to make language comprehensible and lower anxiety when eliciting student expression.
• Identify strategies for creating real-world experiences for students and for designing learning experiences to promote students' skills in the use of appropriate technologies in all areas of study.
• Identify strategies for creating and selecting learning materials that are appropriate for various disciplines and curriculum goals, including using materials in students' home/native languages as appropriate.
• Identify strategies for creating and selecting learning materials that are relevant to students' age, learning style, and language proficiency.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to evaluate and use appropriate materials that feature multiple perspectives and authentic information.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to engage students in active learning opportunities that help them assume responsibility for identifying and using learning resources.

Objective 0009—Understand the use of effective communication techniques in the ENL classroom.

For example:

• Identify strategies for modeling accurate, effective communication when conveying ideas and information, asking questions, and responding to students in the language of instruction.
• Recognize the social, intellectual, and political implications of language use and how cultural, socioeconomic, and gender differences can affect communication in the classroom.
• Identify effective questioning techniques and approaches to stimulating discussion using the language of instruction for specific instructional purposes.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to create and modify the learning environment to enable linguistically diverse students to use effective communication (e.g., written, verbal, nonverbal, visual) in English and non-English language.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ways to create meaningful communication that allows students to interact with subject matter while building language proficiency.
• Identify strategies for modeling culturally sensitive behavior, teaching collaboration and group-facilitation skills, and practicing and modeling effective listening.

Subarea 3 — Development of English Language Skills

Objective 0010—Understand formal and informal assessment in order to support English Learners' language development and achievement of learning standards.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of measurement theory and assessment-related issues (e.g., validity, reliability, bias, scoring).
• Identify the purposes, characteristics, and limitations of different types of assessments for English Learners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods to select, construct, and use formal and informal assessment strategies and instruments to diagnose and evaluate the understanding, progress, and performance of individual students and the class as a whole.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to use informal assessment results to identify students' learning difficulties and modify instruction to address students' needs.
• Identify strategies for using appropriate technologies to monitor and assess students' progress; maintaining useful and accurate records of students' work and performance; and communicating students' progress knowledgeably and responsibly to students, parents/guardians, and colleagues.
• Identify techniques for involving students in self-assessment activities to help them become aware of their strengths and needs and encourage them to establish their own goals for learning.
• Identify methods for assessing how well students are meeting the state-adopted learning standards and recognize state-approved test accommodations for English Learners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for assessing English Learners' discrete and integrated language skills (e.g., understanding and use of grammar and vocabulary; ability to listen, speak, read, and write) and communicative competence, including the use of performance-based measures; and how to interpret the results of these assessments to inform instructional decision making.

Objective 0011—Understand how to promote English Learners' vocabulary development and their knowledge of and ability to use conventions of Standard English when listening, speaking, reading, and writing for social and academic purposes.

For example:

• Distinguish between everyday social vocabulary words (Tier One), general academic/instructional vocabulary words (Tier Two), and content-specific/technical vocabulary words (Tier Three); and apply knowledge of strategies for promoting English Learners' word consciousness, including their awareness of different tiers of vocabulary and their interest in learning new words.
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting English Learners' understanding and retention of new social and academic vocabulary (e.g., using realia and visual supports; providing meaningful and contextualized examples; providing explicit instruction in word meanings; creating multiple opportunities for students to be exposed to and use new vocabulary through listening, speaking, reading, and writing).
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting English Learners' knowledge and use of independent word-learning strategies (e.g., word parts, structural analysis skills, semantic and syntactic context clues, etymology and cognate strategies, reference materials).
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting English Learners' understanding and use of figurative language (e.g., idioms, metaphors), nuances in word meanings (e.g., synonyms, antonyms), and multiple-meaning words.
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting English Learners' knowledge and use of Standard English conventions (e.g., interpreting grammatically complex sentences when listening and reading; interpreting Standard English writing conventions when reading; using Standard English grammar and usage when speaking and writing; using Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing).

Objective 0012—Understand how to promote English Learners' oral language development in English for social and academic purposes.

For example:

• Recognize the interdependence of oracy, literacy, and visual communication; and demonstrate knowledge of research-based methods and resources for integrating listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and visual representing (e.g., thematic and inquiry-based units, graphic organizers) to promote English Learners' achievement.
• Apply knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting and scaffolding English Learners' achievement of relevant state-adopted learning standards related to English listening skills.
• Apply knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting and scaffolding English Learners' achievement of relevant state-adopted learning standards related to English speaking skills.
• Recognize the role that oral language plays in emergent literacy development for both native English speakers and English Learners, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting English Learners' development of relevant oral language skills (e.g., phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, listening comprehension).
• Recognize the role that oral language plays in supporting ongoing literacy development for both native English speakers and English Learners, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for using oral language to support English Learners' reading and writing development (e.g., strategic, purposeful read-alouds; text-based discussions; writing conferences).

Objective 0013—Understand how to promote English Learners' literacy development in English for social and academic purposes.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of factors that affect literacy development in a new language (e.g., oral language proficiency, limited home/native language literacy, vocabulary knowledge, knowledge of academic language structures, background knowledge, prior literacy experiences).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of orthographic, linguistic, and rhetorical influences of the home/native language on English Learners' English literacy development (e.g., positive and negative transfer from the home/native language).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the developmental process of learning to read and write in English, including key components of literacy development (e.g., concepts about print, including letter recognition and formation; phonological and phonemic awareness; phonics; spelling; word recognition; fluency; vocabulary; text comprehension; the writing process; writing conventions).
• Recognize the importance of prioritizing foundational English literacy skills for English Learners in early stages of language acquisition, including students in higher grade levels and students with interrupted formal education (SIFE), and the role of explicit instruction and interventions in addressing individual students' literacy needs.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to design standards-based reading instruction and interventions adapted to and appropriate for English Learners (e.g., differentiating instruction for students at different levels of English-language proficiency; selecting and using various texts and genres for students at different developmental stages; engaging students in close and careful reading, including rereading; using both literary and informational texts to develop students' reading skills).
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting students' interest and engagement in reading and writing, including their independent reading.
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting and scaffolding English Learners' achievement of relevant state-adopted learning standards related to comprehending and analyzing literary and informational texts in English.
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting and scaffolding English Learners' achievement of learning standards related to using the writing process and producing a variety of texts for a variety of purposes in English.
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies for promoting and scaffolding English Learners' achievement of relevant state-adopted learning standards related to the development of research skills.

Subarea 4 — Professional Collaboration, Conduct, and Growth

Objective 0014—Understand the professional role of the ENL teacher in the school and community and methods and techniques that promote reflective practice for the ENL teacher.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of key laws, judicial decisions, policies, and guidelines that have influenced the education of English Learners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of varied perspectives, significant developments, and debates in the field of teaching English Learners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of school and district policies and procedures and the state mandate for assessing and providing services to English Learners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of national and state requirements for identifying, reclassifying, and exiting English Learners from ENL programs (e.g., Transitional Bilingual Education [TBE], Transitional Program of Instruction [TPI], Sheltered).
• Demonstrate familiarity with the goals of diverse programs and services, their organization, and their operation within the local school context for English Learners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of reflection as an integral part of professional growth and improvement of instruction, and various strategies ENL teachers can use to examine and evaluate their strengths and needs (e.g., using classroom observation, ongoing assessment, pedagogical knowledge and research) and establish professional goals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how the ENL teacher's own philosophy, culture, and experiences affect the instruction of culturally and linguistically diverse learners.
• Recognize the value of and strategies for exploring new resources, studying professional literature, participating in professional ESL organizations, conducting classroom research, and contributing to the advancement of the profession of teaching English Learners.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the unique characteristics of the bilingual/ENL education profession and the importance of active participation and leadership in professional education organizations.

Objective 0015—Understand the ENL teacher's role as an advocate for the education of English Learners.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for ensuring that proper identification, assessment, placement, referral, and reclassification procedures are followed.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for ensuring that English Learners receive appropriate and equitable services and meaningful instruction.
• Identify strategies for providing leadership to administrators and instructional staff on ways to meet the needs of English Learners for academic success and inclusion in their new educational and social setting.
• Recognize the importance of multilingualism and strategies for advocating the appropriate use of the non-English language in the school setting.
• Identify strategies for reviewing existing structures, policies, requirements, and curricular assumptions that affect equity, effectiveness, school and program quality, and learning.
• Identify strategies for advocating for equal access to extracurricular and enrichment activities for English Learners and for promoting English Learners' participation and leadership in student organizations.
• Identify strategies for providing English Learners with information and support so that they can participate fully in the school community.
• Identify strategies for engaging English Learners and their families in ways that enable and empower them to advocate for themselves.

Objective 0016—Understand the role of and strategies for working with colleagues, parents/guardians, and the community in supporting the learning and well-being of English Learners.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of benefits of, barriers to, and techniques involved in establishing and fostering home and school connections with parents/guardians and extended families that can build effective learning environments.
• Identify the collaborative skills that are necessary for interacting with colleagues on behalf of students, the benefits of working with colleagues in an interdisciplinary manner, and the importance of audience and purpose when selecting ways to communicate appropriately in both academic and social settings.
• Identify strategies for learning about the community that the school serves and fostering collaboration with others who affect the way the system meets students' needs.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the need for collaboration with community businesses and resources, and ways to form partnerships within the community to seek equitable learning experiences for students.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for building partnerships with students' families, including strategies for communicating and collaborating with families who do not speak English.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for communicating educational goals, standards, implications of instructional activities, and student assessment results to parents/guardians, students, colleagues, collaborative partners, and the educational community at large.
• Recognize strategies for interacting with other professionals, influencing norms in the school, and encouraging collaboration and professionalism within a multicultural context.
• Demonstrate knowledge of codes of professional conduct for the ENL teacher, ethical considerations that apply to educators, and the boundaries of professional responsibilities for working with students, families, colleagues, and community organizations.

 

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