OELPA OELPA Language Development Stages 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the 'silent period' in English language development and how does it relate to OELPA Level 1 (Entering)?
- It refers to the time when students take a silent reading test
- It is the natural early stage when language learners absorb input before producing significant output, consistent with Level 1 behaviors on OELPA (Correct answer)
- It is a required quiet time built into OELPA testing sessions
- It refers to students who refuse to participate in OELPA speaking tasks
Correct answer: It is the natural early stage when language learners absorb input before producing significant output, consistent with Level 1 behaviors on OELPA
The silent period is a recognized stage in second language acquisition where learners listen and process language before producing it, aligning with the minimal output expected of OELPA Level 1 students.
Question 2: Which theory of language acquisition emphasizes the importance of 'comprehensible input' for ELL development measured by OELPA?
- Behaviorism (language as habit formation)
- Stephen Krashen's Input Hypothesis (i+1: input slightly above current level) (Correct answer)
- Chomsky's Universal Grammar theory
- Multiple Intelligences theory by Howard Gardner
Correct answer: Stephen Krashen's Input Hypothesis (i+1: input slightly above current level)
Krashen's Input Hypothesis suggests language is acquired when learners receive input that is slightly beyond their current proficiency level, a principle underlying OELPA's scaffolded task design.
Question 3: At OELPA Level 3 (Developing), which best describes a student's language development stage?
- The student has just arrived in the US and has no English exposure
- The student is building English proficiency with expanding vocabulary and sentence variety but still makes frequent errors (Correct answer)
- The student has fully mastered academic English and no longer needs ELL services
- The student speaks only in memorized phrases
Correct answer: The student is building English proficiency with expanding vocabulary and sentence variety but still makes frequent errors
Level 3 Developing students demonstrate growing English competence with expanding vocabulary and varied structures, but still make systematic errors in grammar and language use.
Question 4: What distinguishes 'BICS' from 'CALP' in ELL language development relevant to OELPA?
- BICS refers to conversational fluency developed in 1–3 years, while CALP refers to academic language proficiency that takes 5–7+ years to develop (Correct answer)
- BICS is more advanced than CALP
- Both BICS and CALP develop at the same rate
- CALP refers to basic conversation only
Correct answer: BICS refers to conversational fluency developed in 1–3 years, while CALP refers to academic language proficiency that takes 5–7+ years to develop
Jim Cummins' BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) develops faster than CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency), which is why ELLs may seem conversationally fluent but still struggle with academic tasks on the OELPA.
Question 5: Why might an ELL student score at Level 4 (Expanding) in speaking but Level 2 (Beginning) in writing on the OELPA?
- The scoring rubric is unfair to multilingual students
- Language proficiency development is uneven across domains; oral skills often develop faster than academic literacy skills (Correct answer)
- The student cheated on the speaking section
- OELPA allows students to choose easier domains to boost scores
Correct answer: Language proficiency development is uneven across domains; oral skills often develop faster than academic literacy skills
It is common for ELL students to develop oral language skills faster than academic writing skills, resulting in uneven OELPA domain scores that reflect this natural developmental pattern.
Question 6: What does 'interlanguage' mean in the context of ELL development assessed by OELPA?
- A language that is between two official languages
- The transitional linguistic system an ELL student creates while acquiring English, combining features of their native language and English (Correct answer)
- The use of a bilingual dictionary during testing
- A special simplified version of English used only for ELLs
Correct answer: The transitional linguistic system an ELL student creates while acquiring English, combining features of their native language and English
Interlanguage refers to the evolving linguistic system ELL students develop as they progress toward English proficiency, often showing features of both their home language and English.
OELPA OELPA Language Development Stages 1
What is the 'silent period' in English language development and how does it relate to OELPA Level 1 (Entering)?