TESL Study Guide

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts, terminology, and theories relevant to TESL.

EAP

English for Academic Purposes, a type of ESL programming.

ESP

English for Specific Purposes, a targeted form of ESL programming.

BICS

Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills, language skills for everyday communication typically acquired in 6 months to 2 years.

CALP

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, skills necessary for academic success, taking over 5 years to develop.

Innatist perspective

A view on language acquisition proposing that language learning is guided by an innate module in the brain.

Critical Period Hypothesis

The theory that there is a limited time window when language acquisition is most effective.

Fossilization

The process where certain language features become permanent in a learner's language use.

Contrastive Analysis

A method to compare L1 and L2 to predict areas of difficulty in language learning.

Interlanguage Pragmatics

Study of how L2 learners use language in social contexts.

Needs Analysis

A systematic approach to identifying learners' current knowledge and future needs.

Motivational Types

Different types of motivation influencing learning: Instrumental, Choice, Executive, and Motivation Retrospection.

Complex Dynamic Systems theory

Understanding language and its acquisition as complex and interconnected.

Krashen’s Monitor Model

A theory suggesting that language acquisition is influenced by comprehensible input and an affective filter.

Cognitive Approaches

View of language learning focusing on cognitive processes rather than an innate language acquisition device.

Interaction Hypothesis

The idea that conversational interaction is essential for language learning.

Authenticity

Utilization of real-life materials and situations in language teaching.

Comprehensible Output Hypothesis

The theory that producing language helps learners negotiate meaning and enhance language skills.

Fluency vs. Accuracy

Fluency refers to the ability to operate the language quickly while accuracy refers to conforming to the rules of the language.

Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs)

A framework of reference describing language ability levels in adult ESL education.

Academic Word List (AWL)

A list of 570 word families frequently used in academic texts, aiding EAP preparation.

University Word List (UWL)

A list of 11 levels of frequently used university vocabulary.

Intelligibility Principle

A principle stating that understanding a language relies on phonetic clarity and context.

Error vs. Mistake

An error indicates a lack of knowledge of a language rule, while a mistake occurs when someone is capable of doing it correctly.

Sociocultural Theory

A theory of language acquisition emphasizing the role of social interaction and cultural context.

Noticing Hypothesis

The idea that learners must consciously notice linguistic features in the input for acquisition to occur.

Affective Filter Hypothesis

Proposed by Krashen, it suggests that emotional variables (like anxiety or self-esteem) can hinder or facilitate language acquisition.

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

A language teaching approach focused on developing communicative competence through meaningful interaction.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

A concept from Vygotsky referring to the difference between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance from a more knowledgeable person.

Needs Analysis

A systematic approach to identifying learners' current knowledge and future needs.

Key information identified by a Needs Analysis

Learners' purposes for learning, current proficiency, preferred learning styles, motivations, and contextual factors.

When is Needs Analysis typically conducted?

Before designing or revising a language course or program to ensure its relevance and effectiveness.

Who benefits from a Needs Analysis?

Learners (by receiving relevant instruction), teachers (by better understanding their students), and program developers (by designing effective curricula).

Innatist perspective

A view on language acquisition proposing that language learning is guided by an innate module in the brain.

Critical Period Hypothesis

The theory that there is a limited time window when language acquisition is most effective.

Fossilization

The process where certain language features become permanent in a learner's language use.

Krashen’s Monitor Model

A theory suggesting that language acquisition is influenced by comprehensible input and an affective filter.

Interaction Hypothesis

The idea that conversational interaction is essential for language learning.

Affective Filter Hypothesis

Proposed by Krashen, it suggests that emotional variables (like anxiety or self-esteem) can hinder or facilitate language acquisition.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

A concept from Vygotsky referring to the difference between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance from a more knowledgeable person.

Sociocultural Theory

A theory of language acquisition emphasizing the role of social interaction and cultural context.

Language Learning Strategies

Specific actions, behaviors, steps, or techniques that language learners employ to improve their progress in developing second language skills.

Language Aptitude

An individual's innate or natural ability to acquire a second language, often characterized by components like phonetic coding, grammatical sensitivity, rote memorization, and inductive language learning ability.

Personality Traits in SLA

Characteristics such as extroversion, introversion, risk-taking, or anxiety that can influence a learner's behavior and overall success in second language acquisition.

What are the three stages of the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs)?

The three stages are: Stage I (Benchmarks 1-4 for basic proficiency), Stage II (Benchmarks 5-8 for intermediate proficiency), and Stage III (Benchmarks 9-12 for advanced proficiency).

What four skill areas do the CLBs assess?

The CLBs assess listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

How are Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs) used in language education?

CLBs are used for placement into ESL programs, assessing language proficiency, developing curricula, and tracking learner progress in adult ESL education programs across Canada.

Receptive Vocabulary

Words that a learner can understand when heard or read, but may not actively use in speaking or writing.

Productive Vocabulary

Words that a learner can actively use in speaking and writing.

Collocations

Words that frequently occur together; for example, 'make a decision' or 'heavy rain'.

Word Families

A group of words that share the same root, but have different prefixes or suffixes (e.g., 'teach', 'teacher', 're-teach', 'teaching').

Vocabulary Learning Strategies

Techniques learners use to discover, remember, and use new vocabulary, such as using context, creating flashcards, or analyzing word parts.

Skimming

A reading strategy involving rapidly glancing through a text to get the main idea or overall impression.

Scanning

A reading strategy where readers quickly look for specific information within a text, rather than reading every word.

Extensive Reading

Reading large quantities of material for general understanding and enjoyment, often outside of class.

Intensive Reading

Deep, detailed reading of shorter texts, often in class, to fully understand linguistic and content features.

The Writing Process

Typically includes stages such as pre-writing (brainstorming, outlining), drafting, revising, and editing.

Cohesion in Writing

Refers to the grammatical and lexical links that connect sentences and paragraphs

Bottom-up Listening

Processing spoken language by focusing on individual sounds, words, and grammatical structures to build meaning.

Top-down Listening

Interpreting spoken language by using background knowledge, context, and expectations to understand the overall meaning.

Pronunciation

The way a word or a language is spoken, including segmentals (individual sounds) and suprasegmentals (stress, rhythm, intonation).

Turn-taking

The collaborative process in conversation where participants alternate speaking and listening, often signaled by verbal and non-verbal cues.

Input Hypothesis

Krashen's proposal that learners acquire language by being exposed to comprehensible input that is slightly beyond their current level (i+1).

Output Hypothesis

The proposal that producing language (speaking or writing) forces learners to process language more deeply and notice gaps in their knowledge, thus aiding acquisition.

Focus on Form

An approach in language teaching that draws learners' attention to linguistic features within a communicative context, rather than isolating forms.

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)

A methodology where learners complete authentic tasks using target language, focusing on meaning first, then form.

Providing authentic materials

A proposal to use real-world texts, audio, and video in the classroom to expose learners to genuine language use and cultural contexts.

Promoting learner autonomy

A proposal for encouraging learners to take more responsibility for their own learning, including setting goals, choosing strategies, and self-assessing progress.

Universal Grammar (UG)

Chomsky's theory proposing that all humans are born with an innate linguistic mechanism that constrains the possible grammars of human languages and facilitates first language acquisition, often extended to explain aspects of second language acquisition.

Behaviorism (in SLA)

A theory that views language learning as the formation of habits through stimulus, response, and reinforcement, suggesting that learners acquire language by imitating and practice rather than innate mechanisms.

Acculturation Model

Schumann's theory that second language acquisition is determined by the degree to which a learner acculturates to the target language group, involving social and psychological distance factors.

Information Processing Model (in SLA)

A cognitive approach that likens the mind to a computer, explaining language learning as the processing, storage, and retrieval of linguistic information, involving stages like attention, working memory, and long-term memory.

Interlanguage

The learner's developing linguistic system, which is systematic and dynamic, and contains features from both the first language (L1) and the target language (L2), as well as some unique features not found in either.

Acquisition-Learning Distinction (Krashen)

Krashen's theory differentiating between language 'acquisition' (a subconscious process similar to L1 acquisition) and language 'learning' (a conscious process of knowing about language).

Monitor Hypothesis (Krashen)

Part of Krashen's Monitor Model, suggesting that language 'learning' serves as a 'monitor' or editor for language 'acquisition', allowing learners to correct their output when they have time and a focus on form.

Natural Order Hypothesis (Krashen)

Krashen's hypothesis stating that language learners acquire grammatical structures in a predictable sequence, regardless of their first language or explicit instruction.