Testlet 318: Foundations of language and language acquisition 10
A new student greets the principal with the casual words she uses with friends and does not wait for her turn to speak. Which domain of language covers these social aspects of language use?American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Language In Brief. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 1
A newcomer listens and follows along but does not speak English during her first weeks. Which stage of second language acquisition is this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Language Acquisition: An Overview. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 2
A principal expects the kindergartners to pick up English faster than the fifth graders because "young children learn languages easily". What does the research summarized in the ERIC digest on second language myths say?ERIC Digest ED350885, Myths and Misconceptions about Second Language Learning (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 2
A student does not yet hear the difference between the vowel sounds in "ship" and "sheep". Which domain of language is involved?American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Language In Brief. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 1
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Testlet 318: Foundations of language and language acquisition, continued
A student who is anxious and afraid of making mistakes takes in little of the English around him. Which idea from Krashen's Monitor Model describes this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Affective filter". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 2
After two years a student chats easily on the playground but struggles with science texts. Which distinction in Jim Cummins's theory explains this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS)". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 2
How many morphemes does the word "ungrateful" contain?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "morpheme". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 1
In the word "books", what kind of unit is the -s?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Morphemic relationship". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 1
Which pair of words shows cognates that a teacher could point out to Spanish-speaking students?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Cognates". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 1
Why do foreign exchange students tend to succeed in American high school classes, according to the ERIC digest on contextual factors in second language acquisition?ERIC Digest ED444381, Contextual Factors in Second Language Acquisition (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 318, objective 2
Testlet 319: Foundations of ESOL instruction 20
A certified ESOL teacher works in the science classroom during the lesson and teaches the English learners there. Which delivery model is this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Push-in ESL". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 2
A child is identified as an English learner before the school year begins. By when must a district that uses Title I funds for a language instruction educational program inform the parents?20 U.S.C. 6312(e)(3) (Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I), text at the Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 4
A district enrolls small numbers of students from more than forty language backgrounds. Why is an ESL program, and not a bilingual program, the likely choice there?ERIC Digest ED362072, ESL and Bilingual Program Models (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 2
A district is choosing a standardized test to use with English learners. What should the test's norm sample and its reliability and validation research include?ERIC Digest ED356232, Assessing Language-Minority Students (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 3
A student identifies with both her family's culture and the culture of her U.S. school, and she speaks only English. Which term fits her?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Bicultural". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 1
A teacher gives short checks several times a week and uses the results to adjust the next lessons. What kind of assessment is this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Formative assessment". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 3
A teacher learns about the skills and bodies of knowledge that her students' households rely on, such as farming, construction and trade, and builds lessons on them. What are these household resources called?ERIC Digest ED367146, Funds of Knowledge: Learning from Language Minority Households (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 1
A test is designed to determine whether each student has mastered specific content, without ranking the student against a comparison group. What kind of test is it?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Criterion-referenced test". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 3
Courts generally weigh three factors in judging a district's language program under the Equal Educational Opportunities Act. Two are whether it rests on sound educational theory and whether it is reasonably calculated to implement that theory effectively. What is the third?U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Types of Educational Opportunities Discrimination. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 4
During an oral assessment an English learner answers an examiner he has never met with short phrases and shrugs. What should the teacher weigh before drawing a conclusion about his English?ERIC Digest ED356232, Assessing Language-Minority Students (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 1
In Georgia, which standards do ESOL teachers plan and teach by, in step with the state's K-12 standards?Georgia Department of Education, ESOL Language Program. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 2
In Lau v. Nichols (1974), what did the Supreme Court say about giving students who do not understand English the same facilities, textbooks, teachers and curriculum as other students?Lau v. Nichols, 414 U.S. 563 (1974), text at the Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 4
In the funds of knowledge model, for what purpose do teachers visit their students' homes?ERIC Digest ED367146, Funds of Knowledge: Learning from Language Minority Households (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 1
What did the Supreme Court decide in Plyler v. Doe (1982)?Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Access to Education: Rule of Law (Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 4
What is acculturation?ERIC Digest ED356232, Assessing Language-Minority Students (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 1
Which activity fits communicative language teaching and not the audiolingual method?ERIC Digest ED357642, Communicative Language Teaching: An Introduction and Sample Activities (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 2
Which assessment is given annually to English learners in WIDA Consortium member states to monitor their progress in learning academic English?WIDA (University of Wisconsin-Madison), WIDA ACCESS. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 3
Which federal law names, as a denial of equal educational opportunity, the failure of an educational agency to take appropriate action to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by its students?20 U.S.C. 1703(f) (Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974), text at the Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 4
Which tool do educators use, with other evidence, to help decide whether a newly enrolled student should be considered for English language support services?WIDA (University of Wisconsin-Madison), WIDA Screener. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 3
The WIDA ELD Standards Statements name language for social and instructional purposes and language for four content areas. Which four?WIDA (University of Wisconsin-Madison), ELD Standards Framework. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 319, objective 2
Testlet 320: Instruction and assessment of English language learners 20
The 2007 IES guide on literacy and English language instruction for English learners recommends regular peer-assisted learning. What does that look like?IES practice guide, Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades (2007), Recommendation 5. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 1
A beginner tells the class, "He go store yesterday." Which response fits the guidance for the early stages of language acquisition?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Language Acquisition: An Overview. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 2
A beginning reader hears the separate sounds /c/ /a/ /t/ and blends them to say "cat". What does this show?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "phonemic awareness". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 3
A student who arrived two years ago speaks English easily with friends. Her teacher concludes that she needs no more language support in social studies. What does the research cited in the ERIC digest on content-centered language learning suggest?ERIC Digest ED367142, Content-Centered Language Learning (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 4
A teacher gives a series of commands, such as "stand up" and "open the door", and students respond by listening and carrying out the actions. Which approach is this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Total Physical Response (TPR)". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 2
According to the same IES guide, what kind of text is a good platform for intensive academic vocabulary instruction?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 1. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 1
Assessment data show that several English learners keep struggling with literacy and English language development. Which response does the IES guide recommend?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 4. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 1
Beginning literacy learners tell a teacher about something they did. The teacher writes down their words, and the class uses that text for reading and writing activities. Which approach is this?ERIC Digest ED350887, The Language Experience Approach and Adult Learners (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 3
Georgia's Student Growth Model for English Language Proficiency reports a student growth percentile. With whom does it compare an English learner's progress?Georgia Department of Education, ESOL Language Program. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 4
How does the IES practice guide on teaching academic content and literacy to English learners recommend that academic vocabulary be taught?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 1. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 1
How often does the IES guide (2014) say students should have opportunities to talk about content in pairs or small groups?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 2. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 2
In a dialogue journal, how does the teacher respond to the language errors in a student's entry?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Dialogue Journal". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 3
In the assessment of English learners, which features of a test may accommodations change?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Accommodation (for English Language Learners)". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 4
What does the IES guide (2014) recommend for all writing assignments given to English learners?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 3. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 3
What is the alphabetic principle?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "alphabetic principle". Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 3
Which classroom task suits a student in the pre-production stage?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Language Acquisition: An Overview. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 2
Which goal does the 2007 IES guide set for English learners from the primary grades on?IES practice guide, Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades (2007), Recommendation 4. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 1
Which instructional tools does the IES guide (2014) name for anchoring content instruction and helping English learners make sense of content?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 2. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 4
Which kind of question suits a student in the early production stage?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Language Acquisition: An Overview. Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 2
Which set of methods marks a sheltered English content class?ERIC Digest ED301070, Sheltered English Instruction (U.S. Department of Education, ERIC). Written to GACE ESOL (727) testlet 320, objective 4
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the objectives of the GACE English to Speakers of Other Languages (P–12) assessment, test code 727, as its Assessment Design and Framework prints them on the GACE website of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and Evaluation Systems, Pearson (https://www.gace.es.pearson.com/studyguide/framework/727 and https://www.gace.es.pearson.com/test/727, read 2026-10-07): testlet 318 Foundations of Language and Language Acquisition, about 20 selected-response questions in 30 minutes, two objectives of 50% each; testlet 319 Foundations of ESOL Instruction, about 40 in 60 minutes, four objectives of 25% each; testlet 320 Instruction and Assessment of English Language Learners (ELLs), about 40 in 60 minutes, four objectives of 25% each. This bank holds 10, 20 and 20. Every fact was read on 2026-10-07 in the public page named under its question (ERIC digests of the U.S. Department of Education, IES practice guides, the U.S. Code and Supreme Court texts at the Legal Information Institute, the U.S. Courts, the Department of Justice, the Georgia Department of Education, WIDA, the Colorín Colorado ELL glossary and ASHA). Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This GACE ESOL practice test asks 50 questions of our own on the framework of the English to Speakers of Other Languages (P–12) assessment, test 727. It is unofficial and not affiliated with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission or Pearson.
Read the full guide
The three testlets
Testlet 318, Foundations of Language and Language Acquisition, has about 20 questions. Testlets 319, Foundations of ESOL Instruction, and 320, Instruction and Assessment of English Language Learners, have about 40 each. The bank here holds 10, 20 and 20, five for each objective of the framework at gace.es.pearson.com, read October 7, 2026.
Clock and exam mode
Each real testlet allows a minute and a half per question: 30, 60 and 60 minutes. Exam mode keeps that pace, with all 50 questions in 75 minutes.
What the questions draw on
Facts come from ERIC digests, IES practice guides, the Colorín Colorado ELL glossary, the U.S. Code, Supreme Court texts, WIDA and the Georgia Department of Education. Each question names its own.
Georgia plans ESOL instruction with the WIDA standards, so learn the WIDA names: ACCESS, Screener and the six proficiency levels.
Lau v. Nichols, Plyler v. Doe and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act settle different points. Learn what each decided, not only its name.
Questions and answers
Is this a free GACE ESOL practice test or the real exam?
It is free, and it is not the real exam. Every question was written for this site from the framework's objectives and public sources. Nothing is taken or reworded from the GACE, its study guide or its sample questions, and your score here predicts nothing.
How long is the GACE ESOL test?
It has 100 selected-response questions and 2 hours and 30 minutes of testing time in all. Each session adds 15 minutes for a tutorial and a nondisclosure agreement.
What score do you need to pass the GACE ESOL?
At least 220 as a cumulative score, with no testlet below its floor, the minimum set for each one. Scores are reported on a scale of 100 to 300, so this page shows the number right and no verdict.
Did the GACE ESOL test change?
The Georgia Professional Standards Commission says the supplier of the GACE changed from ETS to Evaluation Systems, Pearson, and that passing scores cannot be split between the two suppliers. This page follows the Pearson framework for test 727.