FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

What aspect of language proficiency does the Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency Test focus on?

1. Social language skills

2. Academic language proficiency

3. Conversational fluency

4. Basic survival language

The correct answer is: Academic language proficiency

The Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency Test is specifically designed to assess a student’s ability to use language in cognitively demanding academic contexts. This includes understanding complex vocabulary, engaging with abstract concepts, and participating in discussions that require analytical thinking and comprehension of subject-specific content. The focus on academic language proficiency is crucial for students, particularly English language learners, as it supports their success in school environments where academic achievement relies heavily on the ability to navigate and articulate ideas in a structured and thematic context. The distinction between academic language proficiency and other types of language abilities, such as social language skills—typically more casual and used in day-to-day communication—illustrates why the emphasis is placed on academic language in this test. Moreover, while conversational fluency pertains to the ability to communicate effectively in social situations and basic survival language relates to essential phrases for day-to-day needs, the Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency Test is solely concerned with those language skills that contribute to a student’s academic success and engagement in more technical, domain-specific discussions.