Free Tips to Pass the LOTE

• Be prepared for a lot of distractions at the testing center. You will

have headphones, but you will likely be able to hear other test
takers during their speaking sections. Mentally prepare yourself
to block out distractions.
• Think fast. For many people, the listening section on the LOTE
Spanish exam happens fast and there is not much "think" time to
respond.
• Get used to listening to and understanding Spanish from different
parts of the world (Caribbean, South America, Mexico, Central
America, and Spain). On the LOTE Spanish exam, you will hear
different accents.
• Use the correct register for the writing and speaking sections.
When speaking to adults, you should almost always use the
"usted" form. If you are speaking to close friends or family, you
can use the "tú" form even if they are adults. When speaking to
children, close friends, and family, use the "tú" form.
• Use "proper" or "standard" Spanish. Avoid slang words and be
sure to not use English words. If you cannot think of the word in
Spanish, think of another way to express the idea in Spanish.
• Always put accent marks where they belong. Learn the rules on
where to put accent marks. Do a "Google" search to learn more
about the accent mark rules.
• For the written expression section, pace yourself so you will be
able to plan, write, and proofread all three of the tasks. You have
50 minutes to write the response to a letter, email, or memo, the
opinion/position essay, and the integrated writing skills task.
Copyright 2020 Courtney Schonefeld
 These tasks must be written in Spanish. As previously mentioned,
be sure to use proper Spanish, accent marks, and the correct
register.
• For the instructional practices writing section, pace yourself so
you have time to plan, write, and proofread both tasks. You have
35 minutes to write the lesson plan and the essay. Both the
lesson plan and the instructional practices essay must be written
in English. Use "standard" English and check for spelling errors.
• If you are not confident in all areas of Spanish (listening, speaking,
writing, and reading), I recommend you buy the Barron's AP
Spanish Guide. You need to be completely fluent in all domains in
order to pass the LOTE exam.
• Study second language acquisition models and theories and learn
about instruction and assessment. You can buy a great guide for
Instruction and Assessment at www.lotespanish.us
• I am also available by appointment for tutoring for the LOTE or
BTLPT Spanish exams. Email me at
schonefeldcourtney@gmail.com

**Check out the LOTE Spanish 613 resources for sale at

www.lotespanish.us

**These resources will show you examples of all writing tasks:

1. Lesson plan (English)

2. Instructional Practices Essay (English)

3. Response to an Email/Letter/Memo (Spanish)

4. Essay (Spanish)
Copyright 2020 Courtney Schonefeld
 5. Integrated Writing Task (Spanish)

An Instruction and Assessment Guide is also for sale. Instruction

and Assessment is 34.6% of the test, and is the hardest part for most
people.

Copyright 2020 Courtney Schonefeld

 Tips to Write an Effective Lesson Plan for the LOTE Spanish Exam

Important Tips from ETS (but modified by Texas Teacher Today):

• Be sure your lesson plan is on topic and that it fully and

appropriately addresses the prompt.
• Your lesson plan must include all the required information
(vocabulary your lesson plan will use, materials the lesson will
require, a detailed description of the activities and procedures
that will be part of the lesson, at least one informal or formal
assessment or evaluation of the students' learning).
• You should write a minimum of 200 words, but I would
recommend at least 250 words.
• Review the rubric on the Pearson manual.

Helpful Tips from Texas Teacher Today:

• All lesson plans should be STUDENT-CENTERED or LEARNER-

CENTERED. That means the activities should have the students
actively participating. Education is no longer teacher-centered,
where the teacher lectures for long periods of time. Of course, a
short lecture may be necessary, but students should have hands-
on activities and the teacher should be the facilitator.
• Plan at least three activities in order to address the needs of all
types of learners (visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners). For
visual learners, some pictures, posters, or a video are often
effective. For auditory learners, a catchy song, rhyme, or
Copyright 2020 Courtney Schonefeld
 interesting verbal explanation are useful. Kinesthetic learners
learn by doing, so you need to use manipulatives and hands-on
activities. Some examples of manipulatives are counters to help
students learning to add or subtract, or magnetic letters for
students to practice spelling.
• Always DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION. This means you plan your
instruction and/or evaluation according to the different readiness
levels, interests, and needs of students. You can assign books or
worksheets that are different levels of difficulty according to the
students' different ability levels. When assigning projects, you can
give students three or four options to choose from. When
assessing students, use different methods to be sure to notice the
different strengths of students. For example, some students may
not be confident at oral presentations, but their written speech
may be very effective. Of course, they should still be required to
present, but teachers can count their written speech for part of
the grade. If other students are stronger at presenting, the
teacher can focus more on that and less on the writing. Teachers
can find ways to help students capitalize on their strengths and
work on their weaknesses.
• If you don't know yet, you really need to learn where to put
accent marks! Correct spelling is also important. Incorrect use of
accent marks and spelling, or leaving off accent marks, will really
cost you points.
• You are only required to use one evaluation (formal or informal),
but I recommend you include one of each. If appropriate, explain
how you can cater the evaluation to students who are struggling
with certain concepts. Formal assessments include tests, quizzes,
Copyright 2020 Courtney Schonefeld
 and essays. Informal assessments include projects, oral
presentations, reading logs, portfolios, or even the teacher asking
students questions and keeping track of their responses. Both
formal and informal assessments are important. Some students
do not perform well under the pressure they feel taking a formal
assessment, and an informal assessment may give the teacher
more information about what the student actually knows. For
more information, read this article about formal and informal
assessments.
• Be careful to use your time wisely. You only have 35 minutes to
writ the lesson plan and the opinion/position essay.
• Proofread your lesson plan and correct any mistakes.

For additional help on accent marks, pedagogy, or to learn more

about writing a lesson plan, please email me at
schonefeldcourtney@gmail.com to schedule a tutoring session.

http://www.lotespanish.us
Facebook: Texas Teacher Today

Copyright 2020 Courtney Schonefeld