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English Language Programs and Policies — LET Practice Questions

This English Language Programs and Policies section of the LET English Major exam covers 22 expert-reviewed practice questions. Each question has a plain-English explanation and notes on why the wrong answers are wrong.

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Sample questions with answers and explanations

Sample 1

Which of these is a factor that influences language policy decisions?

Answer: B

Language policy is a political decision. It is shaped by history (which group ruled), social factors (which groups live together), politics (who holds power), and economics (which language opens jobs). The Philippines' choice of Filipino and English is a product of all four: Spanish then American colonization, many ethnic groups, postwar government decisions, and the global economy.

Why the other choices are wrong
  • A. Printing cost is a small implementation detail, not a real policy driver.
  • C. Classroom wall color has no connection to language policy — obvious distractor.
  • D. Weather doesn't shape language policy either.

Sample 2

What is "additive bilingualism"?

Answer: B

Additive bilingualism is the healthy version: the second language is ADDED on top of the first, and both keep growing. The student ends up fluent and literate in two languages. This is the goal of MTB-MLE and most modern bilingual education. The opposite — subtractive bilingualism — is when the first language fades as the second one is learned.

Tip: Think of "additive" like math: 1 + 1 = 2 languages. "Subtractive" = losing one to gain another.

Why the other choices are wrong
  • A. Losing the first language to gain the second is SUBTRACTIVE bilingualism, not additive.
  • C. Forgetting the first language entirely is the worst-case subtractive outcome.
  • D. Mixing two languages in speech is code-switching, a different concept.

Sample 3

Which of the following is a key goal of many bilingual education programs?

Answer: B

Bilingual education aims for students to do well in TWO languages and to keep up with school subjects at the same time. The home language is not thrown away; it's used as a foundation while the second language is added. The Philippines' MTB-MLE (Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education) policy works the same way — children learn their first language and English/Filipino together.

Why the other choices are wrong
  • A. Assimilation programs aim to ERASE the minority language — that's the opposite of bilingual education.
  • C. Replacing the home language is called subtractive bilingualism — a harmful approach, not a goal.
  • D. Focusing only on culture skips the academic and language goals of bilingual education.
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