Unofficial practice for MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56): English learners, sheltering content and literacy, with the source under every answer.
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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or Pearson. Bank checked October 9, 2026.
A district gives its English learners the same books, lessons and teachers as every other student and no language support. Which ruling held that identical education is not equal education under the Civil Rights Act?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Lau v. Nichols". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0001
A family enrolls a child whose first language is not English. What does 603 CMR 14.02 require the school district to have in place?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 603 CMR 14.00, Education of English Learners Regulations, section 14.02. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0001
A grade 7 science teacher provides sheltered English instruction to three English learners in her class. Under 603 CMR 14.07, what must this core academic teacher earn?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 603 CMR 14.00, Education of English Learners Regulations, section 14.07. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0001
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Subarea I: English learners and their teachers, continued
A Massachusetts district serves 140 English learners. What does 603 CMR 14.09 require it to establish so that families have a voice?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 603 CMR 14.00, Education of English Learners Regulations, section 14.09. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0003
A middle school places recent immigrants who have had limited schooling in a newcomer program. Besides beginning English and core academic skills, what is a major goal of such a program?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Newcomer Program". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0002
A student who was excited during her first weeks in a new country now seems frustrated and anxious about the differences she meets. In the four-phase description of culture shock, which phase follows the honeymoon?Wikipedia, "Culture shock". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0003
Two new students share a home country and a language. One attended school every year; the other missed several years. What does Colorín Colorado advise about students with interrupted formal education?Colorín Colorado (WETA), How to Support ELL Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFEs). Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0002
Under the definitions in Massachusetts General Laws chapter 71A, which classroom is a sheltered English immersion classroom?Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 71A, section 2 (definitions). Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0001
Subarea II: Teaching language and sheltering content 18
The 2007 IES guide for the elementary grades recommends structured pair work in which students of different English proficiencies practice together. About how much time does it suggest each week?IES practice guide, Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades (2007), Recommendation 5. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0006
A lesson plan reads: "Students will explain the water cycle orally using the sequence words first, next and finally." What kind of objective is this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0007
A newcomer tells the principal, "Give me a pencil." The sentence is grammatical, but it does not suit the listener or the setting. Which area of language is involved?Wikipedia, "Pragmatics". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0004
A newly arrived kindergartner listens, watches and follows routines but has not spoken English in class for a month. Which stage of second-language acquisition is this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Language Acquisition: An Overview. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0005
A Spanish-speaking student works out the English word "fortunate" from the Spanish word "afortunado". What is the student drawing on?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Selecting Vocabulary Words to Teach English Language Learners. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0004
A student arrived with gaps in schooling and limited literacy in his first language. According to Colorín Colorado, how long may it take him to reach advanced fluency in English?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Language Acquisition: An Overview. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0008
A student enrolls in November, and the school must find out whether she is an English learner. Which WIDA assessment is made for new students and can be given at any time of the school year?WIDA, Screener. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0009
A student who fears being laughed at takes in little of the English spoken around him. Which metaphor from Krashen describes attitudes that hinder language learning?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Affective filter". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0005
A teacher picks five academic words from a short article on volcanoes and plans different activities with them on each day of the week. Which recommendation of the 2014 IES practice guide is she following?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 1. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0006
A teacher sees that a textbook passage packs many ideas into every paragraph. In the features of academic language named in the test objectives, at which level does the density of a text belong?Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, Sheltered English Immersion (56) test objectives, objective 0008. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0008
A teacher shows that the word "replayed" is built from re-, play and -ed. Which unit of language is the class working with?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "morpheme". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0004
After a year in the country a fifth grader chats easily at recess but cannot follow the science textbook. In the terms of Jim Cummins, what explains the gap?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS)". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0005
Before a unit on the American Revolution, a teacher shows a two-minute video and a labeled map. According to the 2014 IES guide, what do such tools do?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 2. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0007
During social studies, a certified ESL teacher comes into the grade 4 classroom and teaches the English learners there, alongside the classroom teacher. Which model is this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Push-in ESL". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0007
Every year a district tests its English learners from kindergarten to grade 12 in listening, reading, speaking and writing to monitor their progress in academic English. Which assessment is this?WIDA, ACCESS. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0009
For each English learner a teacher keeps dated writing samples, a recorded retelling and a self-assessment checklist. Which kind of assessment is this?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Authentic assessment". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0009
In Colorín Colorado's three tiers of vocabulary for English learners, why is "butterfly" a Tier 1 word?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Selecting Vocabulary Words to Teach English Language Learners. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0006
Which are the four Key Language Uses in the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition?WIDA, English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0008
Subarea III: Literacy and standards-based content 14
A concept web, a flow chart and a story map all show how the ideas in a text relate to one another. What are these tools called?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Graphic Organizers". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0012
A lesson teaches that the letters "igh" together spell one sound. What is instruction in the relationship between sounds and the letters that spell them called?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Phonics". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0010
A school gives every English learner in grade 1 brief early reading measures at set points in the year and tracks the results. Which recommendation of the 2007 IES guide is this?IES practice guide, Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades (2007), Recommendation 1. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0010
A student whose first language places adjectives after nouns writes "the car red" in English. What is this carrying of a feature from one language into another called?Wikipedia, "Language transfer". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0011
A student's writing keeps the same error for years although the rest of her English has grown. What term describes a learner's interlanguage that has ceased developing?Wikipedia, "Interlanguage". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0011
A teacher has chosen a lesson topic from the content standards. According to Colorín Colorado, what are a lesson's language objectives built on?Colorín Colorado (WETA), Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0012
According to Recommendation 3 of the 2014 IES guide, why should teachers assess the writing of English learners periodically?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 3. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0011
After strong classroom instruction, three English learners in grade 6 still struggle to read grade-level text. What does Recommendation 4 of the 2014 IES guide call for?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 4. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0012
Before reading a chapter, a student states her purpose for reading and previews the headings. What is this kind of thinking about one's own thinking called?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "Metacognition". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0010
Screening shows that four English learners in a second grade class are at risk for reading problems. What does the 2007 IES guide recommend for them?IES practice guide, Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades (2007), Recommendation 2. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0010
What does Recommendation 3 of the 2014 IES guide say about how students should work during writing?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 3. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0011
Which WIDA ELD standard statement covers the language a student uses to ask a classmate for help or to follow classroom routines?WIDA, English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0012
With every writing assignment a teacher hands out a writing framework and sentence starters. Which practice from Recommendation 3 of the 2014 IES guide does this carry out?IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School (2014), Recommendation 3. Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0011
With no print in front of them, students clap once for each syllable in spoken words. Which skill is the activity building?Colorín Colorado (WETA), ELL Glossary, "phonological awareness". Written to MTEL Sheltered English Immersion (56), objective 0010
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the test objectives of MTEL Sheltered English Immersion, field 56, as the test information guide prints them on the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure website (https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/Content/StudyGuide/MA_SG_OBJ_56.htm and https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/MA056_TestPage.html, read 2026-10-09): 60 multiple-choice questions and 1 open-response item of 5 parts in 4 hours; multiple-choice subareas I The World of English Language Learners and Their Teachers (9 to 11 questions, 10% of the score, objectives 0001 to 0003), II Teaching Language and Sheltering Content in the Classroom (27 to 29, 28%, objectives 0004 to 0009) and III Literacy and Standards-Based Content Teaching for English Language Learners (21 to 23, 22%, objectives 0010 to 0012), and the open-response subarea, 40%. This bank holds 8, 18 and 14. Every fact was read on 2026-10-09 in the public page named under its question: Massachusetts General Laws chapter 71A, the regulations at 603 CMR 14.00, WIDA, two practice guides of the Institute of Education Sciences, Colorín Colorado, the test objectives and four Wikipedia articles. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This MTEL SEI endorsement practice test has 40 questions of our own on Sheltered English Immersion, field 56. It is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or Pearson.
Read the full guide
What the test covers
The test objectives list three multiple-choice subareas: the world of English language learners and their teachers (9 to 11 questions), teaching language and sheltering content in the classroom (27 to 29) and literacy and standards-based content teaching (21 to 23). This bank holds 8, 18 and 14.
Timing
With online proctoring the 60 multiple-choice questions get 90 minutes; exam mode keeps that pace, 40 questions in 60 minutes.
How the answers are checked
Every fact was read on the page named under its question: Massachusetts General Laws chapter 71A, the regulations at 603 CMR 14.00, WIDA, two federal practice guides and Colorín Colorado.
The open-response item is written, so it is not practiced here.
Subarea II holds nearly half of the multiple-choice questions. Give it the most study time.
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the MTEL SEI test?
The test information guide lists 60 multiple-choice questions and 1 open-response item with 5 parts, in 4 hours of testing time. The MTEL site adds that tests may include questions that do not count toward the score.
What is the passing score for the MTEL SEI?
The MTEL site gives a qualifying score of 240. The multiple-choice section is 60% of the score and the open-response item 40%, so a percent right on this page does not convert to it.
Is there an MTEL SEI study guide?
The official materials are on the MTEL site: a test information guide with the overview and the objectives, and a practice test. This page adds questions of our own, each naming the objective and the public source it rests on.
Does passing the MTEL SEI give the SEI endorsement?
The test information guide calls the test one option open to educators who want to meet the requirements for the SEI Endorsement, and points to the RETELL pages of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for those requirements.