ELLs may be ____ in other language or ________ in their native language.

• A. Proficient
• B. Fluent
• C. Bilingual
• D. Monolingual

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is describing the level of language ability a student has in languages other than English and in their native language. The word that fits both parts of the sentence is proficient. Proficient means being competent or skilled in using a language, which can apply to speaking, reading, writing, or understanding, in either language a student uses. Saying an ELL may be proficient in another language or proficient in their native language communicates that a student can have strong language skills across different languages, without implying how fluent they are in every situation or how many languages they know overall.

Fluent would emphasize ease of speech, which isn’t necessarily the sole or most appropriate measure of overall language ability in all domains. Bilingual focuses on the number of languages a person knows rather than how well they use them. Monolingual centers on having only one language, which isn’t the point of describing proficiency in multiple languages.