ETS Praxis School Psychology Practice Test

Data showing gains in everyday, conversational English while academic language remains behind points to the need for targeted academic English supports within content areas. Conversational language tends to develop through social interaction, but academic language requires explicit instruction in discipline-specific vocabulary, syntax, and discourse patterns, along with strategies for understanding textbooks and completing coursework. Providing supports in content areas—such as sheltered instruction, explicit vocabulary instruction, sentence frames, and practicing text-based tasks—helps the student access the curriculum more fully. This approach is preferable to stopping ESOL services or assuming conversational gains translate to academic success, since the gaps in academic language can hinder reading, writing, and content mastery.