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MTEL English As A Second Language Test Breakdown

English Language Listening Proficiency has two subareas with a total of 12 to 14 questions and counts 10 percent of the final score.

1. Literal Listening Comprehension Skills: identify main ideas, details, sequences, cause and effect and steps in oral directions, correct responses to questions and comments, and paraphrasing accurately.
2. Inferring and Critical Listening Comprehension Skills: identify main ideas, details, sequences, cause and effect and drawing conclusions, interpreting idioms, understanding tone, mood and point of view of speakers, and analyzing the social context and adequacy of the oral message.

Foundations of Second Language Instruction has three subareas with a total of 30 to 32 questions and counts 25 percent of the final score.

1. Processes and Stages of Language Acquisition: major theories and characteristics of first and second language development, cognitive processes learning rules and vocabulary, factors that influence learning a language, and the role of the first language in learning a second language.
2. Linguistic and Sociolinguistic Instructional Concepts: phonics and phonemics, morphology and lexicon, syntax and discourse features in oral and written text, semantic and pragmatics, major sociolinguistic theorists and their characteristics of their basic concepts, and cultural differences in styles of communication.
3. Sheltered and Structured English Immersion: theories, programs and instructional approaches, research, characteristics, goals and features of various theories and programs, and methods to encourage learning language and content in a classroom environment.

Second Language and Content Learning has five subareas with a total of 55 to 57 questions and counts 45 percent of the final score.

1. Oral Language Skills and Communicative Language Development: formal and informal strategies, activities and methods for developing, promoting and assessing competence in listening and speaking English, and ways to identify the characteristics of normal variations in speech development and possible disabilities.
2. Developing Reading Skills and Comprehension: theories, research, practices and features of the influence of oral development in learning to read, the relationship between reading, writing and speaking, strategies and reasons for using phonics, improving vocabulary, reading comprehension and different types of reading material, and reasons for and importance of reading.
3. Reading Instruction and Assessments: differences in instruction methods for students with varying levels of competence in their first language, factors that influence transferring first language reading skills to the second language, methods of teaching at various ages, stages and competency levels, sheltered strategies and intervention, characteristics, approaches and guidelines for selecting, administering and assessing the advantages and limitations of various testing methods, and ways to identify the characteristics of normal variations in speech development and possible disabilities.
4. Writing Instruction and Assessments: approaches, strategies and methods to teach writing skills and processes and applications to improve competency and proficiency, activities geared for various ages, stages, competency levels and reading fluency, elements of written English and different reasons for writing, characteristics and importance of basic syntax, grammar and spelling, characteristics, administration and interpretation of various assessment methods, and ways to identify the characteristics of normal writing development and possible disabilities.
5. Cognitive and Academic Language Proficiency and Content Learning: strategies for teaching subjects in English, selecting and adapting information to meet cognitive and linguistic needs of multiple students, processes, applications and activities geared for various ages, stages and competency levels particularly for those who have gaps in their formal education, characteristics, administration and interpretation of various assessment methods, and ways to identify the characteristics of normal performance and possible disabilities.

MTEL English As A Second Language Test Practice Questions