OELPA OELPA Academic Language 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term refers to words with specialized meanings specific to one subject, such as 'photosynthesis' in science?
- Tier 1 basic vocabulary
- Tier 2 academic vocabulary
- Tier 3 technical or domain-specific vocabulary (Correct answer)
- Social conversational vocabulary
Correct answer: Tier 3 technical or domain-specific vocabulary
Tier 3 technical vocabulary consists of subject-specific terms like photosynthesis, denominator, or democracy that are used primarily within a particular content domain.
Question 2: Which grammatical feature is commonly tested in OELPA academic language because it is frequently used in science and social studies texts?
- Simple present tense only
- Passive voice constructions (e.g., 'was discovered,' 'is used') (Correct answer)
- Exclamatory sentences
- Second-person point of view
Correct answer: Passive voice constructions (e.g., 'was discovered,' 'is used')
Passive voice is heavily used in academic and scientific writing to focus on actions and processes rather than actors, making it a key grammatical structure assessed on the OELPA.
Question 3: On the OELPA, what does a student demonstrate when they use transition words like 'however,' 'in contrast,' and 'similarly'?
- Proficiency in basic conversational English
- Understanding of cohesive devices and compare-contrast text structure in academic language (Correct answer)
- Mastery of narrative story writing
- Ability to perform mathematical calculations
Correct answer: Understanding of cohesive devices and compare-contrast text structure in academic language
Using transitions like however and in contrast shows a student's command of cohesive devices that signal relationships between ideas in academic discourse.
Question 4: Why is knowledge of Latin and Greek roots important for OELPA academic language proficiency?
- Ohio requires ELLs to study Latin as part of the curriculum
- Many academic English words contain Latin and Greek roots that help students infer the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary (Correct answer)
- Latin roots are tested directly on the OELPA reading section
- Greek and Latin are considered easier languages than English
Correct answer: Many academic English words contain Latin and Greek roots that help students infer the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary
Academic vocabulary often derives from Latin and Greek roots (e.g., bio-, geo-, -ology), so knowledge of these roots helps ELLs decode and infer meaning from unfamiliar academic terms.
Question 5: Which type of sentence structure is associated with higher academic language proficiency on the OELPA?
- Short simple sentences with one clause
- Complex and compound-complex sentences with subordinate clauses and embedded phrases (Correct answer)
- Run-on sentences with multiple ideas joined by 'and'
- Sentence fragments used for emphasis
Correct answer: Complex and compound-complex sentences with subordinate clauses and embedded phrases
Higher OELPA proficiency levels are associated with the ability to produce and understand complex sentence structures that accurately convey nuanced academic ideas.
Question 6: How does the OELPA assess a student's knowledge of academic language in the context of math?
- By testing computational arithmetic skills directly
- Through tasks involving mathematical language such as explaining reasoning, interpreting data, or describing geometric properties (Correct answer)
- By requiring students to memorize multiplication tables
- By testing only vocabulary words unrelated to mathematics
Correct answer: Through tasks involving mathematical language such as explaining reasoning, interpreting data, or describing geometric properties
OELPA math-related language tasks assess whether students can use the language of mathematics to explain reasoning and describe quantitative relationships, not to perform calculations.
OELPA OELPA Academic Language 2
Which term refers to words with specialized meanings specific to one subject, such as 'photosynthesis' in science?