Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
 FREE LOTE Class over
Competency 001
Thanks for joining me today! We will go over
Competency 001 today and learn about language
learning theories, second-language learning theories, and
how these apply to LOTE.
There are 3 competencies for the Pedagogy/Instruction
and Assessment section which account for 26.6% of the
exam. Even native and heritage speakers can fail the
LOTE exam if they do not study for this part.

At the end of this session, you will receive a coupon code

to save 10 percent off my digital course to help you learn
what you need to know to pass the largest section of the
exam.

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
 LOTE Spanish 613 Instruction
and Assessment or Pedagogy
Guide

The instruction and assessment or pedagogy section on the LOTE

makes up 26.6% of the test. This guide will provide you with the
information you need to know about second language acquisition
and pedagogy to pass this section of the LOTE.

TEXAS TEACHER TODAY

Courtney Schonefeld
WWW.LOTESPANISH.US

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
Useful Resources:
ACTFL website: https://www.actfl.org/
Competency 001: Language-Learning
Theories, Second-Language Acquisition
Theories, and How These Apply to LOTE
Instruction and Assessment
Vocabulary:
L1: Language 1 - the language a person already
knows
L2: Language 2 - the language a person is
learning or has learned
BICS - Basic Interpersonal Communicative
Skills - basic conversation skills that most
students learn quickly
CALP - Cognitive Academic Language
Proficiency - academic language and
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Updated 2020
terminology students need to understand to do
well in an academic setting; this usually takes a
few years to develop
Language acquisition: Language acquisition is
when language is naturally acquired. For
example, babies and toddlers acquire L1. There
is not direct instruction and a conscious effort
devoted to learning the language. However,
they do receive a lot of input and have a lot of
practice, and learn what "sounds right."
Language learning: Language learning is not as
communicative as language acquisition, and is a
result of direct instruction. Language learning
is often encouraged to help students learn L2,
but keep in mind this is not recommended for
small children, who are not yet capable of
focusing on grammar rules and applying them

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
to new situations. Although direct instruction
in grammar is helpful for older students, it does
not always result in the students having
advanced speaking or writing skills.
A. Interlanguage - a linguistic system a second
language learner develops who is learning L2
but has not yet mastered it; they preserve
some features of L1 and "overgeneralize" rules
for L2. They will sometimes use rules from
their home language and apply them to L2.
You may notice that native Spanish speakers
will pronounce the short "i" sound in English as
a long "e" sound. They are taking a feature of
L1 and applying it to L2. An example of
overgeneralizing would be saying "goed"
instead of "went." The student has learned
that in English (L2) you usually add "-ed" to

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

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make a word past tense, but has not yet
learned the irregular past tense forms.
Although some students, especially young
children, may master basic conversation skills
(BICS or Basic Interpersonal Communicative
Skills) in several months or a year, it takes years
for them to develop Cognitive Academic
Language Proficiency (CALP). They need to
have proficiency in CALP to be able to do well in
academic classes where they have to know
advanced terminology.
There are many factors that affect how quickly
a student learns a new language. The main
factors are his/her motivation, the level of
support at home, prior educational
experiences, and the quality of education in L2.

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
B. Cognitive processing theories in language
acquisition - There are cognitive processes
involved in L1 and L2. One notable difference is
that L2 learners are almost always older, and
have a knowledge base about how language
works. This will affect how they learn and
process L2. Usually L2 learners have a more
formal understanding of language and rules, a
longer attention span, and can benefit from
direct instruction. However, L1 is acquired
naturally and without any direct instruction.
C. Language Learning Theories and Second-
Language Instruction and Assessment
Communicative language teaching or
communicative approaches - these
theories emphasize interaction and
communication; often role-plays, games,

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and interviews are used; authentic texts in
L2 are employed; the teacher attempts to
link language learning activities in the
classroom to real world situations; the
communicative approach and theories
based on the communicative approach are
somewhat influenced by Noam Chomsky,
who states that all humans have a language
acquisition device (LAD), which helps them
understand grammatical rules and any
rules of language. Noam Chomsky
developed the nativist perspective, stating
that humans are naturally or biologically
designed to learn language. Universal
Grammar, a theory proposed by Chomsky,
states that grammar is built in and that
under normal circumstances, people
naturally develop a sense of grammar. Lev
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Vygotsky is closely associated with the
interactionist theory, which explains that
language acquisition is both social and
biological. The interactionist theory
emphasizes the importance of collaborative
learning to help students develop both
cognitively and linguistically. Vygotsky is
widely known for his concept of the zone of
proximal development (ZPD), which is the
difference between what a learner can do
independently and what he or she can do
with help. Another communicative
approach is the natural approach,
developed by Stephen Krashen and Tracy
Terrell. The natural approach promotes
more natural second language acquisition in
the classroom, emphasizing communication
and placing less emphasis on study of
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grammar and direct correction of students.
One of the main goals is to create a stress-
free learning atmosphere where students
are not forced to speak, but begin to speak
after they have received a lot of
comprehensible input, or language they
can understand. Stephen Krashen
developed many other hypotheses,
including the monitor model. The monitor
model or hypothesis explains that the
learner "monitors" and corrects his/her
errors. Although this can improve accuracy,
it can also act as a barrier to language
acquisition since the speaker will focus
more on accuracy than on fluency.
Stephen Krashen’s Theories/Hypotheses*

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*Hypotheses is the plural form of
hypothesis
1. Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis
– Krashen explains the two ways
people learn language- acquisition
and learning. As previously
mentioned, language acquisition
occurs naturally when people learn
their native language, or L1. L1 is
learned subconsciously through
communication, and not through
direct teaching. Language learning,
however, involves conscious, active
learning of a language, including
grammar, vocabulary, etc. This is
usually a result of formal language
instruction for L2 (language 2).

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
2. Monitor Hypothesis – The
Monitor Hypothesis states that
people “monitor” their language,
both in L1 and L2. They learn to
make corrections and figure out
what “sounds right.” Since Krashen
supports language acquisition, he
discourages overuse of the
“monitor.” He suggests overuse of
the “monitor” (correcting errors) will
detract or take away from fluency.
3. Natural Order Hypothesis – This
hypothesis explains that there is a
natural sequence or order that
people learn a language (either L1 or
L2). For example, you would not
teach the conditional and
subjunctive tenses until students
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Updated 2020
 have mastered other verb tenses.
Sometimes teachers cause undue
frustration by attempting to teach
grammatical rules that students are
not ready to learn.
4. Input Hypothesis – Krashen
asserts that language learning
occurs when “comprehensible
input” is used, meaning the teacher
or caregiver uses language the
student or child can understand. To
facilitate learning, the instructor or
caregiver should also use
“comprehensible input + 1”, or “i
+1.” “Comprehensible input + 1” is
language the teacher or caregiver
uses that is just above the student
or child’s current level. Scaffolding,
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 or extra support, should be used to
help the child or student understand
and progress to the next level.
Scaffolding includes many different
types of support, including
nonverbal support (gestures, body
language), rephrasing the sentence,
checking for understanding and
clarifying, etc.
5. Affective Filter Hypothesis –
This theory explains that students
are affected by anxiety, stress, their
self-confidence, and their
surroundings, resulting in what
Krashen calls an “affective filter.”
When a person’s affective filter is
high, he or she is afraid to take risks
and will not take chances in
Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
 producing language due to fear of
making mistakes or being ridiculed.
On the other hand, a low affective
filter facilitates learning, since the
person is not afraid to use the
language. Teachers should create a
positive, fun environment with no
tolerance for bullying or ridiculing in
order for all students to have the
chance to acquire or learn L2.
6. Reading Hypothesis – This
hypothesis is very straightforward.
By reading more in L2, the student
will learn more vocabulary.
Increased vocabulary will help all
aspects of language learning.

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
Comprehension approach- Total Physical
Response (TPR), developed by James Asher,
is an example of a comprehension
approach. In Total Physical Response,
grammar is not explicitly taught. The
teacher gives commands to students in the
target language, and students use whole
body actions to respond. This method can
be very effective for kinesthetic learners.
TPR is often used in conjunction with other
methods.
Content-based approaches - these theories
use content (or subjects) to teach L2. This
is a meaningful, hands-on way for students
to learn useful language in a real-world
setting. Students are actively involved and

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
encouraged to participate. This can actually
be considered communicative teaching.
**It is important to note that the meaning
of the term content-based approach or
instruction has changed. Now it refers to
what is mentioned in the paragraph above,
but on your exam you might see questions
about the grammar-translation method
and audiolingual method, which were
considered content-based approaches.
In the grammar-translation method,
students learn grammar rules and then use
their knowledge of those rules to translate
sentences. The goal is to help students read
and translate literature, but it does not
generally help a student develop proficiency
in speaking or help in listening

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
comprehension. This method stems from
the classical or traditional method that was
used to teach Greek and Latin.
The audiolingual method (or Army Method
or New Key) is based on the behaviorist
theory and proposes that people can be
taught language through reinforcement
(positive and negative feedback). It is
similar to the direct method, because
students are taught directly. However, the
direct method focuses on vocabulary, and
the audiolingual method focuses on
grammar. Oral drills are used frequently in
the audiolingual method, and the students
repeat the teacher. Only the target
language (L2, or Spanish in this case) is used
in the classroom. Surprisingly, correct

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
 grammar is expected (and learned from the
drills), but is not explicitly taught. This
method is still used, but after the 1950s its
popularity declined.
D. Learning styles and lesson planning -
Teachers must know that students learn in
different ways. There are visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic learners. Visual learners benefit
from pictures, charts, videos, etc. Auditory
learners benefit from songs, appropriate
lectures, and from listening in general.
Kinesthetic learners are "hands-on" learners
that learn by doing. As the educator, you must
plan activities that reach out to each type of
learner. Also, help students determine what
type of learner they are. You can give them a
learning styles quiz. Once they know their most

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
effective learning method, they can tap into
that. However, all learning styles must be
addressed in the classroom. Visual learners
will benefit from YouTube and other online
videos at home, auditory learners may prefer a
song or podcast, and kinesthetic learners will
benefit from doing activities directly related to
the content.
E. Factors Affecting Second-Language
Acquisition
1. Motivation - The student's intrinsic
motivation to learn the language is probably
the most important factor. Some students
are motivated to learn a language so they can
do better in school and get a good job.
Others are motivated to learn a language to
communicate with friends or a new

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
boyfriend or girlfriend. Some students will
show little motivation. In these cases, the
teacher should try to make learning the
language seem relevant and important, and tie
in the student's interest to the lessons.
2. First-language background - If L1 and L2
are related, the student will learn L2 faster. For
example, English and Spanish have a lot of
similar words that have similar meanings, called
cognates. English and Japanese do not.
Students who speak Spanish at home will likely
learn English easier that students who speak
Japanese at home. However, other factors can
also come into play.
3. Language transfer and language
interference - This occurs when students use
knowledge of L1 and apply those rules to L2.

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When it is called language transfer, it can be
positive or negative. In positive cases,
students may know a word in Spanish that
looks like and English word, and they figure it
out (like ”computadora" means "computer.")
Language transfer can also be negative, and
it is usually called language interference. They
will make errors in L2 that are associated
with their knowledge of L1. Teachers at first
should use only indirect correction by
repeating what the student said, but in the
correct way. Later, after the student is gaining
confidence in speaking, the teacher can
incorporate gentle and private direct
correction.
4. Overgeneralization - as previously
mentioned, sometimes students learn a rule in

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
L2 and apply it incorrectly. For example, they
may know that to make a word plural, you
usually add "s." However, if they say "foots"
or "tooths," that is incorrect, and is caused by
overgeneralizing. The teacher can indirectly
correct them by saying - "You lost 2 teeth?
Losing teeth is so exciting!" Use the correct
word as often as possible. Direct correction
should only be used after students have
gained proficiency in L2.
5. Family attitude and behavior - If the
parents and family members are supportive of
the student learning L2, this will facilitate
language acquisition. Teachers are encouraged
to communicate with parents and explain that
they should maintain and foster L1 at home,
but also encourage the student to learn L2.

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
F. Designing Instruction for All Students -
Teachers will have a wide range of students in
the classroom. In addition to different learning
styles, there will be students that are gifted and
talented, those with special needs, and also
native speakers and heritage learners.
Remember to also follow the IEP (individualized
education program) for special education
students - you are required to do that by law.
Differentiated instruction allows you to plan
lessons to meet the needs of all learners. Find
activities that you can cater to advanced,
intermediate, and struggling students. They
might get a worksheet on the same topic, but
at a different level of difficulty. Also, native
speakers should be challenged. They will likely
be bored learning to conjugate verbs, so once
they prove mastery, give them a more
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appropriate assignment, like writing an essay in
Spanish or writing a research paper in Spanish
about a certain topic. Heritage speakers, or
those that speak Spanish at home but have not
had formal instruction in Spanish, will require
instruction in spelling, grammar, accent marks,
and conjugating verbs. However, because they
can already speak fluently and have a large
vocabulary, many of the beginning Spanish
activities will bore them. Teachers should do
their best to design activities that are
appropriate for students at different levels.
Instead of assigning heritage speakers
vocabulary worksheets, give them more
practice in spelling, accent marks, and
conjugating verbs. This is admittedly more
work for the teacher, but the benefits are
worth the effort.
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Teacher should plan interdisciplinary or
thematic units whenever possible. This means
the teacher incorporates other subject areas,
such as science, math, social studies, etc.
Teachers should refer to the TEKS for those
subjects, and also collaborate with the teachers
of those subjects. For example, if students are
learning about photosynthesis in science, LOTE
teachers can have students watch a video
about photosynthesis in Spanish, and give them
vocabulary words associated with the video.
Then, students can draw and label a picture of
the photosynthesis process (incorporating both
science and art).
Foreign Language Programs:
Foreign Language Experience Program (FLEX) -
FLEX programs are enrichment programs

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designed for limited exposure to one or two
foreign language(s) to children in elementary
school. The main emphasis is on spoken/oral
language and learning about other cultures.
Teachers in FLEX programs use games, cultural
activities, stories, and music to teach basic
vocabulary and phrases and introduce children
to other cultures. The goals are to expose
children to other cultures, teach them basic
vocabulary, and prepare them to enter foreign
language or world language instruction in
middle school.
Foreign Language in Elementary School
Program (FLES) - FLES programs are designed
to help students develop some level of
proficiency, and are not simply for exposure.
Sequential language instruction is provided.

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Immersion Programs - Immersion programs
intertwine content learning from the regular
curriculum and foreign language instruction.
Bilingual Education Programs - Bilingual
education programs were originally designed
for students with limited English proficiency
(LEP), but now there are two way bilingual
programs that also allow native English
speakers to join LEP students. Content
learning (subjects) is conducted in both
languages. Teachers in these programs are
bilingual certified teachers, not LOTE teachers.

G. Theories and lesson plans - Use your

knowledge of the different second language
acquisition theories mentioned above to plan
lessons. Tie in content whenever possible, and

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
include some audiolingual drills and some
translation exercises. However, almost all
instruction should be communicative, and it
should ALWAYS BE LEARNER-CENTERED,
meaning the learners or students are actively
participating. LEARNER-CENTERED
INSTRUCTION is very important to know for the
test. You will have to answer some situational
questions, where you have to choose the best
way to teach a concept or handle a situation.
The correct answer will always be the one that
has the students actively engaged and
participating. The correct answer will never be
the teacher lecturing for the entire class or
giving them worksheets for the whole class
period.

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
H. Prior knowledge and home background -
Take advantage of your students' prior
knowledge, or schema. It will help them learn
faster. When teaching a new concept, tie it in
to something they already know. Make lessons
interesting and interactive by having students
talk about their home background. This will
especially come in handy for cultural lessons.
You may even invite a guest speaker, parent, or
grandparent to talk about a custom or holiday.
*Keep in mind that all instruction must be
based on the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills) for LOTE (Languages Other Than
English).
Sample Questions
1. Jorge is a new student in Ms. Cantú's class,
and Spanish is his first language. However, he

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
has lived in the US for several years and prefers
to speak English. He is reluctant to speak
Spanish in Ms. Cantú's Spanish III class, and
does not want to do class work or participate.
What are some strategies she can use to
encourage him to complete his assignments?
A. Ms. Cantú should require Jorge to
participate and complete assignments, and
plan consequences (verbal warning, extra
assignment, call home, referral) if he does
not comply.
B. Ms. Cantú should not force Jorge to
participate, but should plan learner-
centered activities and give students
choices so they can do assignments that
interest them.

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
 C. Ms. Cantú should differentiate
instruction so that Jorge is not bored with
assignments, and allow him to choose from
a variety of assignments so that he can do
coursework on topics that interest him.
D. Ms. Cantú should request that he be
placed in another world language program.
2. Jaime is in fifth grade, and he is learning
Spanish three days a week. In his Spanish class,
they learn vocabulary, grammar, and are
expected to participate in conversations. He is
most likely in:
A. A bilingual education program.
B. An immersion program.
C. A newcomer center program.

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

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 D. A FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary
School) Program.

Answers and Explanations:

1. C - C is correct because teachers should plan
instruction that is at the correct level for the
student and that is interesting. This question
specifically mentions Jorge, so the answer
should be related to him. A is incorrect
because it is not conducive or productive to
have strict rules about participating without
first trying constructive, positive approaches. B
seems like a good choice, but is not as thorough
as C, and is not specifically geared at meeting
Jorge's needs, which is what the question asks.
D is incorrect because Ms. Cantú does not have

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020
a valid reason to request he be put in another
class.
2. D - D is correct because in a FLES program,
students are expected to acquire proficiency.
In a bilingual education program, students
would be learning content in both English and
Spanish on a daily basis. In an immersion
program, Spanish would be used daily and
integrated with curriculum. A newcomer
center is designed for ESL and bilingual
education students, and is a separate campus,
not a foreign language program.
Thank you for attending! My digital course includes all 3
competencies on Instruction and Assessment, as well as quizzes and a
final exam, and even information on writing a lesson plan!

Enroll today or tomorrow and save 10 percent with the code comp1 at

https://courtney-s-school-cbb0.thinkific.com/courses/lote-spanish-
613-instruction-and-assessment-or-pedagogy-guide

Copyright 2015 Courtney Schonefeld

Updated 2020