ELD Language Assessment Rubric – GLOSSARY
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Term
academic vocabulary
basic
Bridging
complex sentence
compound sentence
dependent clause
Emerging
English Only
English phonemes
Expanding
independent clause
language function
modal
phonetic
precise
Definition
vocabulary that is used to explain a curriculum concept, but is not
content-specific and may apply to a variety of curricula: Example analyze, compare, contrast, predict, collaborate, explain
forming an essential foundation or starting point, fundamental,
simplistic: Examples – play, kid, mom, fun, like, nice, good, pretty
students at this level of Language Acquisition are nearly proficient;
somewhat comparable to CELDT levels IV and V
a sentence that contains an independent clause and at least one
dependent (subordinate) clause: Example – When someone needs
help, firemen are always prepared.
contains two or more independent clauses and no dependent
(subordinate) clauses: Example – Fireman are trained to help anyone
who needs them and they will help animals and people.
(subordinate) does not express a complete thought and cannot stand
alone as a sentence: Example – When the horse fell in the mud.
Beginning Language Acquisition level; somewhat comparable to
CELDT levels I and II
refers to students for whom English is their only language; Native
English speakers
one sound that may be represented by one or more letters: Example
– bet has three phonemes (b/e/t), but back also has three phonemes,
though it has four letters (b/a/ck); bake has three phonemes (b/a/k);
sand (s/a/n/d); play (p/l/ay)
Intermediate Level Language Acquisition; somewhat comparable to
CELDT level III
words that express a complete thought and can stand alone as a
sentence: Example – Children are playing.
a specific purpose for which we use language; each language
function utilizes specific vocabulary – to sequence (first, next, then),
predict (believe, determine), compare/contrast (but, both, similar,
different), persuade (perspective, point of view), describe (also, as
well, in addition)
verb that combines with another verb to indicate mood or tense:
Example - can, could, may, might, must, ought, shall, should, will,
would
related to speech sounds, their production, or their transcription in
written symbols: English phonetic spelling Examples – tacing (taking);
pichers (pictures); cids (kids); wus (was); mite (might)
Spanish phonetic spelling Examples – ai (I); pipl (people); Korean –
r/l, omits final “s”
definite, distinct, strictly stated or defined; precise verbs, adjectives,
and adverbs help paint a more vivid picture for the reader: Example –
predicate
predicate expander
preposition
prepositional phrase
pronoun
pronoun/antecedent
agreement
run-on sentence
sentence
sentence fragment
sentence variety
sequencing
simple sentence
specific
subject
subject/verb agreement
syntax
hoist as opposed to pull up; dangerous as opposed to hard; frightened
as opposed to scared; four as opposed to some; galloped as opposed
to ran
tells what the subject is doing or a state of being (verb): Example –
The horse fell. Firemen are strong.
adds details about the predicate - answers "where, how, when, why":
Example - The firemen pulled the horse from the sticky mud. The
children are playing with their friends in the afternoon.
shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word – shows
direction, time, position, or location: Example - in, through, beside,
under, over, for, from, inside, in front of, unlike, until, behind, around,
at, upon, with, off, on, between
a preposition and a noun or noun phrase: Example – Children played
on the slippery slides.
pronouns takes the place of a noun: Example – I, we, they, she, he,
their, my, her, his
pronoun should agree with number and gender of antecedent:
Example – The parents talked on their cellphones.
two or more complete sentences run together as one: Example –
Children are playing on the equipment their parents are watching to
see that they are safe. OR Children are running, and playing, and
they are yelling, and no one is sad, and I wish I was there, and I
would bring my dog too.
word or word group that contains a subject and a verb and that
expresses a complete thought
a group of words that is punctuated as if it were a complete sentence,
but that does not contain both a subject and a verb or that does not
express a complete thought: Example – When the horse came out of
the mud.
look for varied sentence beginnings, gerunds to begin a sentence,
dependent clauses, preposition phrases may be at the beginning,
middle or end of sentences: Example – “Pulling the horse from the
mud was difficult because the horse struggled to get free.” instead of
“The firemen are helping. The horse is kicking. The lady pulls the
rope. One fireman stands there.”
following of one thing after another; order of succession; subsequent
event, result or consequence. Key words might include: first, in the
beginning, next, then, finally, in the end, afterwards
contains one independent clause and no dependent (subordinate)
clause: Example – Tall, leafy trees surround the playground.
particular, unambiguous: Example – fireman instead of man; helmet
instead of hat; bench instead of chair; parent instead of mom; slide
instead of thing; sweater instead of shirt
tells whom or what the sentence is about: Example – At last, five
firemen came to the rescue.
verb agrees in number with subject: Example – The firemen are trying
to help the horse. The fireman is trying to help the horse.
arrangement of words in a sentence; ways words combine to form
Tier I vocabulary
Tier II vocabulary
Tier III vocabulary
verb tense
phrases, clauses, and sentences: Example – Correct syntax - the tall
fireman races to the horse. Incorrect syntax – To the horse the
fireman tall races.
everyday casual vocabulary: Example – happy, sad, pretty, good,
kids, moms, dads, trees, help
high frequency words found across academic content: Example –
analyze, monitor, explain, refer, identify, compare, contrast, assist,
require, solution, solve, entertain, support, active, discuss
content specific: Example – neighborhood, profession, career, forest,
biomes
time of action or state of being expressed by the verb: Example –
(present – Firemen are rescuing) (past – Firemen rescued)
Program Quality/Academic English Learner/Categorical
January 2013