LOTE Spanish 613 Instruction and Assessment and Pedagogy Guide
Instruction and Assessment/Pedagogy is the largest part of the exam.
Pass the LOTE Instruction and Assessment/Pedagogy Section
In order to pass the LOTE, the sample Pearson test recommends that you have at least 80% possible points.
Why do you even need to study for the pedagogy section? Learn why you need a guide or course here.
For the pedagogy section, that means you need to answer 32 (or more) out of 40 questions correctly.
There are 45 questions for this section, but 5 are not scored. You will not know which ones count and which ones don’t.
A lot of people send me their score reports. Without using a good study guide or course, most people get about 20-25 questions correct on this section, which is far less than 32.
Because this section accounts for 34.4% of the exam, even native and heritage speakers fail this exam if they don’t prepare for LOTE instruction and assessment/pedagogy.
The most important and helpful thing you can do is to get a high quality study guide or course and carefully study it. We offer digital courses and printable study guides.
Learn why you need a pedagogy guide here. Even if you’re completely fluent in Spanish, you will likely fail the test if you don’t learn the pedagogy.
You need to know second language acquisition experts, like Krashen and Lewis, second language acquisition programs, the 5 C’s, ACTFL Guidelines, and more.
It’s also helpful to read the Texas NESINC manual and review their sample questions and rationales. Learning why the answers are correct can help you get more answers right on your exam.
After you study, take the $10 Pearson test and see how you do. It will help you determine if you are ready or not.
Need more practice for pedagogy/instruction and assessment? I offer a sample test for $7.99.
I also offer private and group tutoring to help you pass the LOTE. You may book tutoring here.
Are you frustrated by the ACTFL questions? Let’s talk about how to properly respond to these difficult questions.
5 C’s of Foreign Language
ACTFL Proficiency Levels
In order to correctly answer these pesky questions, it’s important to read the ACTFL Proficiency Descriptors. First, you should know what is expected for novice, intermediate, and advanced students. You need to know the expectations for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced?
How do I know if an activity is appropriate for novice, intermediate, or advanced students? Here are some quick tips:
Novice students should know isolated words and phrases. Native speakers cannot usually understand them. Even native speakers used to second language learners will struggle to communicate with novice speakers.
Intermediate students should be able to communicate at the sentence level. Sympathetic native speakers are likely to understand them.
Advanced students should be able to communicate at the paragraph level and beyond. They can also communicate in the past, present, and future tenses. All native speakers should understand them. However, there will still be some gaps in communication.
Take a Course to Learn More about the ACTFL Proficiency Level Questions
These questions are in the instruction and assessment section of the exam. Instruction and Assessment accounts for 26.6% of the test. As a result, even native speakers can fail this exam if they don’t learn pedagogy/instruction and assessment. If you are confident in all areas of Spanish and know you only need to study the pedagogy, check this out.
First of all, on the Pedagogy/Instruction and Assessment section, the largest part of the exam, you will see several questions about the 5 C’s. You will be presented with scenarios and will have to choose which standards this scenario applies to. For example, in the question below you have to select ALL the standards that apply. Be sure to open and read the 5 C’s Standards. Although you will have a chart like this on the exam, it’s important to be familiar with it and know how to answer these questions before you walk into the test center.
Sample LOTE 5 C’s Questions
An advanced level Spanish class has three students who volunteer at a local food bank. They speak Spanish to some of the people there. Which of the standards are they meeting? Select ALL that apply.
A. Standard 4.1
B. Standard 5.1
C. Standard 1.2
D. Standard 5.2
E. Standard 1.1
Answer: B, D, and E are correct because they are using Spanish beyond the classroom, they are using it for personal enjoyment and they are engaging in interpersonal communication. A is incorrect because they are not comparing languages. C is incorrect because this is not an example of interpretive communication.
Another Sample Question
A Spanish 2 teacher asks students to look for cognates and false cognates in a short text. Which of the following standards does this address?
A. Standard 4.1
B. Standard 4.2
C. Standard 2.1
D. Standard 2.2
E. Standard 3.1
A is correct because by looking for cognates and false cognates, they are comparing L1 and L2. B is incorrect because they are not comparing cultures. C and D are incorrect because this does not relate to cultures. E is incorrect because they are not using Spanish to further their knowledge of another subject (discipline).
Enroll in our Pedagogy Test and you will see many more 5 C’s questions.
Why Do I Need to Study? I Already Know Spanish
Even if you are completely fluent in Spanish, you can fail the exam if you don’t learn the Pedagogy/Instruction and Assessment. Because this section has 45 multiple choice questions that are 26.6% of the exam, plus the lesson plan and instructional practices essay that are another 8%, you can fail if you don’t prepare for it. Learn why you need a pedagogy guide.
Do you need help passing the LOTE Spanish 613 Exam? I have passed the LOTE and have years of experience helping people just like you pass, too! Below are some recommended resources to help YOU pass this challenging exam. Frustrated? You’re not alone. So many people fail this exam and feel defeated, but I’m here to guide you and give you hope to pass next time! Email me at info@texasteachertoday.com to ask about my intense LOTE Spanish 613 tutoring.
Now, if you do not know the answers to those pedagogy questions in the Texas NESINC manual, and most people do not, be sure to study a guide or course for pedagogy/instruction and assessment. We offer a digital LOTE pedagogy course with content and realistic sample test questions for the pedagogy/instruction and assessment section. This course is perfect for you if you only need help on pedagogy/instruction and assessment and the lesson plan. If you’re sure you only need help on pedagogy and the lesson plan, you can check out more information about my pedagogy course here.
However, we also offer a comprehensive LOTE course if you need to improve in all areas, including pedagogy/instruction and assessment, the lesson plan, interpretive reading, interpretive listening, writing proficiency, and oral/speaking proficiency. If you buy the comprehensive course, you do NOT need the pedagogy course, since it is included. In the comprehensive course, you are even able to complete your own 8 constructed response tasks (5 writing tasks and 3 speaking tasks) that are required on the exam and get feedback on how to improve your score.
Download our free sample lesson plans to learn how to write your own effective lesson plan and earn a perfect score.
ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and TEKS
While you study the pedagogy/instruction and assessment, read the ACTFL proficiency guidelines. This will help you answer the pedagogy questions and will also help you know what types of activities are appropriate for level. That is super important because your lesson plan activities must match the proficiency level they provide.
Read the TEKS for LOTE. This will help you know what students learn and are expected to know at each level of Spanish, and they align it to the ACTFL guidelines.
Improve Your Spanish
Although the pedagogy/instruction and assessment is the largest single section, it is important to improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish. We recommend at least 15 to 20 minutes each day for each one, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. In addition, you should study pedagogy for 15-20 minutes per day.
Make sure you know where to put accents. Leaving them off or putting them in the wrong place can cost you significant points. We have a FREE guide with the rules for accent marks.
Reading Comprehension/Interpretive Reading
Practice reading advanced Spanish and look up words you do not know and memorize them. You can start with released STAAR tests for elementary school if you are not ready for higher level Spanish.
If your comprehension is already pretty strong, we recommend the book Barron’s AP Spanish Language and Culture. You may even be able to find this book at a local library.
Writing Proficiency
Open a Google doc and practice writing your response to the prompts in my digital course and from the Texas NESINC manual. Be sure to time yourself as if you are taking the exam. You have 50 minutes to write the three tasks in Spanish, and 35 minutes to write the lesson plan and essay in English.
Interpretive Listening/Listening Comprehension
You need to be able to understand native speakers from all Spanish speaking countries. These links have free audio files to practice listening comprehension. There are no sample questions like on the exam, but this is a great free way to practice listening to different accents. UT Spanish ProficiencySpanish ListeningTexas NESINC Practice
If I already know Spanish, why do I need to study for the LOTE Spanish 613 exam?
Well, 34.6% of the exam is on pedagogy/instruction and assessment. No matter how strong your Spanish is, you won’t pass if you don’t learn the 5 C’s, ACTFL Guidelines, second language theories, and more. You also need to learn how to write an effective lesson plan and instructional practices essay. The good news is I have a printable study guide or a digital course to teach you what you need to know. Without a LOTE pedagogy guide or course, it is almost impossible to pass the exam. You can learn more about the pedagogy/instruction and assessment section here.
LOTE Pedagogy Guide or Course- Second Language Acquisition
First, you need to know second language acquisition theories, models, and experts. You need to know about Krashen, Chomsky, Hymes, Selinker, and Vygotsky. You also need to know the difference between FLES and FLEX programs, and what immersion programs and bilingual programs. My digital course has videos to teach you all of this, and sample questions to check your comprehension. If you join my course and weekly tutoring, you’ll get weekly tutoring to prepare for all domains of the exam!
LOTE Pedagogy Guide or Course – ACTFL Guidelines
You also need to know what is expected at the novice, intermediate, and advanced levels, as well as the sublevels for ACTFL. It’s overwhelming! My course has a one page spreadsheet with all the sublevels to simplify it.
LOTE Pedagogy Guide or Course – 5 C’s
So many people tell me the 5 C’s are challenging! I break down each one, especially Cultures, to help you understand. My course also has a lot of practice questions to help you learn how to answer these tricky questions.
The Lesson Plan and Instructional Practices Essay
If you join my course and weekly tutoring, you’ll also learn exactly how to write an effective lesson plan. You’ll get examples of both the lesson plan and the instructional practices essay, and have the opportunity to upload your own assignments to get feedback on how to improve.
*Over 26.6 percent of the exam is Pedagogy/Instruction and Assessment. So, even if you are a native speaker or are completely fluent, you can still fail this exam if you don’t prepare properly.
*My digital course and digital study guides have all the information you need to know to pass the Pedagogy/Instruction and Assessment section and learn how to write an effective lesson plan.
