Tips for Taking the BTLPT or LOTE

Are you studying for the BTLPT or LOTE Spanish exams?  Here are some helpful tips for the actual test day.

1.  The test center will likely have a lot of distractions.  Expect to hear other people taking their test and doing their oral/speaking tasks.  Be prepared to block out noise mentally, and take ear plugs.  Make sure you tell the test proctor you have them.  You are allowed to have them, but be sure the proctor knows.

2. Get there early so you will hopefully be admitted before other test takers and choose a seat that you prefer.  Ask the test proctor to put as much space between you and other test takers as possible.

3.  Eat a healthy meal before you go.  The LOTE is a long test, and you don't want to be hungry and have a hard time concentrating.  The BTLPT is shorter, but it is still important to eat well before you go so your blood sugar level will not drop.

4. Replace anxious or negative thoughts with positive, realistic thoughts.  Remind yourself of your strengths and your hard work studying, and tell yourself you will do your best and pass.

5. Carefully read all instructions, and remember that once you complete a section, you cannot go back to a previous section.  Budget your time so you can finish each section.  There will be a clock on your screen showing how much time you have left.

Studying for the BTLPT and LOTE Spanish Exams

Are you preparing for the LOTE or BTLPT Spanish exam?

Both exams are very rigorous.  On the LOTE, the most challenging sections for the majority of test takers are the pedagogy/instruction and assessment domain, and the writing tasks.  I have study material to help for both of those areas.

On the BTLPT, the writing tasks are usually the most challening.  You can purchase material to help you prepare for those.

For a limited time, get 10% off with this coupon code:  EPP10

New Question Formats on Core Subjects EC-6 291 Exam

Did you know the new Core Subjects exams include new question formats? For some questions, you will drag and drop answer choices into targets, and for some you will select from a drop down menu. For other questions, you will click on sentences, parts of a graphic, or check boxes. For more information, "like" my new page: Texas Teacher Today TExES Core Subjects EC-6 291

#CoreSubjects #CoreSubjectsEC6 #CoreSubjects291

Failed the LOTE or BTLPT Spanish?

I know some of you are incredibly frustrated that you did not pass the BTLPT or LOTE exam.  Hang in there!  These tests are very rigorous.

If you bought my study guide for the writing tasks (for either exam), and did not pass your test, I have an offer for you.  You are welcome to email me a writing sample, and I will review it free of charge and give you specific feedback to improve your score.  You need to respond to one of the writing tasks in the ETS preparation manual.  Please allow a few business days for a response.  Send your writing task to schonefeldcourtney@gmail.com

#BTLPT #BTLPTSpanish #LOTE #LOTESpanish

Congratulations on Passing the BTLPT and LOTE

Congratulations to all of you who passed the LOTE or BTLPT!  I was so blessed to receive emails from happy customers that found my study material helpful.  I give credit to them for putting in the time and effort to pass!  #BTLPT #LOTE  #BTLPTSpanish #LOTESpanish

Free LOTE Pedagogy 5 C's Questions and Answers

A lot of LOTE test takers struggle with the multiple choice pedagogy questions, especially the ones that are scenario based and related to the 5 C 's.   Below are two sample questions.  Refer to the 5 C's to answer these questions. The correct answers and explanations are below.

16. Which example below best represents an activity for intermediate level high school Spanish students that demonstrates how they could meet the Cultures standard?

A. Showing a video about a holiday celebrated in the target culture and having a class discussion about how it is similar to and different than holidays celebrated in the US.

B. Assigning a chapter on Latin American history in a Spanish textbook and taking students to a Latin American history museum.  Upon returning to class, give students a quiz over the textbook assignment and have a discussion in the target language about how the historical perspective of the Latin American countries differs from the perspective portrayed in American textbooks.

C. Having students read a chapter in a history textbook in the target language, watch a video in the target language, and then write a response about what they learned.

D. Taking students to a celebration hosted by a local Latin American group, and instructing students to pay attention to the items available for sale.  After returning to class, students will write a response in the target language and have a class discussion about how these products are related to the perspective of the culture.

17. Students in a Spanish 1 (beginning level) class are learning basic greetings in the target language.  After the teacher has modeled proper pronunciation, and shown them a video with people using the greeting, she breaks them into partners (groups of 2) to practice.  Then, they must practice while she circulates to evaluate their use of the greeting and gives them constructive feedback.  This scenario best addresses which standard?

A. Communication 1.a

B. Communication 1.c

C. Comparisons 4.a

D. Communities 5.b

Use the 5 C's (standards for learning a foreign language) from ACTFL to design appropriate instruction.

1. Communication

                a. Students participate in conversations, ask for and give information, express   emotions, and share opinions.

                b. Students understand written language and spoken language on various topics.

                c. Students use the target language (Spanish) to present ideas, information, etc to an    audience on various topics.

Instruction: Design fun, engaging activities for students to practice speaking in Spanish.  Give students various topics to choose from to have conversations with partners, find fun videos and songs for them to watch and listen to, and then have them respond to comprehension questions related to the videos and songs.  Allow students to choose a topic or idea to present on, and as an alternative, allow them to pre-record it and show it to the class (at least on occasion, presentations should be live).

2. Cultures

                a. Students show an understanding of the relationship between perspectives and           practices of the culture(s) they studied.

                b. Students show an understanding of the relationship between the perspectives and products of the         culture(s) they studies.

Instruction: Allow students to research a culture of their choice, as long as it is a culture that speaks the target language (Spanish).  The goal of the project should be for them to show how the ideas, thoughts, and perspectives of the culture are related to their practices.  For example, if the country they choose to research is predominantly Catholic, they can discuss some Catholic traditions the culture practices.  If the culture has places a large emphasis on family, they can discuss common family traditions.  Students can demonstrate that they understand the relationship between the perspectives and products of the target culture(s) by studying the ideas of the culture, and what products they produce.  It is helpful to watch advertisements about products (from youtube or other Internet sources).  Students might even create their own advertisement and explain to the class how the product is related to some common perspectives of the culture they studied.  For example, if el día de los muertos is very important to that culture, the student could choose to make an advertisement about flowers or food used to make an altar to remember loved ones that passed away.

3. Connections

                a. Students extend their knowledge of other disciplines through the target language.

                b. Students gain information and learn about different viewpoints that are available       through the foreign/target language and its cultures.

Instruction: Collaborate with content area teachers (math, science, social studies, English language arts) in order to know what students are learning.  You may also refer to the TEKS to find what students are expected to know for each subject.  Then plan activities, games, and find videos or songs related to that material.  Teach students jargon or vocabulary in Spanish related to the concepts they are learning in other classes.  This will reinforce their knowledge, and will provide them with new vocabulary and perspectives about the knowledge they learned in other classes.  Students will also begin to understand that learning about a particular subject can be very different when learned in different places, and see how culture can affect learning.  For example, an American social studies textbook about the Spanish-American War would probably be quite different than the Spanish version of the same war.

4. Comparisons

                a. Students show an understanding of the nature and structure of language by comparing the target language (Spanish) and their own language.

                b. Students show an understanding of the idea/concept of culture by comparing the      cultures they studied and their own culture.

Instruction: Teach students about cognates, and point out similarities and differences of sentence structure and word order in Spanish.  Have students discuss with a partner how their culture is similar to and different than the cultures studied in class.

5. Communities

                a. Students use Spanish in school settings and in other places.

                b. Students demonstrate evidence of being life-long learners by using the target             language not only for class, but also for pleasure and for enrichment.

Instruction: Encourage students to use Spanish in real world settings- stores, restaurants, etc.  Offer extra credit if they record an interview with a native speaker or watch a movie in Spanish and take notes.

16. D – D is the best option because Standard 2.a delineates that students should have an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture(s) studied.  Although option A is related to culture, it is not as thorough or as learner-centered as option D.  Option B is associated with the Comparisons standard, and option C is not very learner-centered and is not as focused on culture.

17. A – A is the best option because the students are working in pairs and participating in a short conversation.  Option B is incorrect because they are not presenting to an audience.  Option C is incorrect because the question is not related to comparisons.  Option D is incorrect because it does not necessarily show evidence of students using the language for personal enjoyment.