Correct Response: A. When an English learner exhibits language patterns that do not correspond to Standard English, educators need to consider whether this is the result of typical second-language acquisition processes, such as language transfer from the first language, or if it suggests the presence of an exceptionality or disability. If other students from the same cultural and linguistic group exhibit the same language patterns as the given English learner, the patterns are most likely the result of a typical second-language acquisition process. The presence of a language-based exceptionality or disability is more likely when the English learner's language use differs from peers with the same background. C and D are incorrect because they both describe environmental factors that would likely affect an English learner's second-language development but not in ways that could be attributed to a language- based exceptionality or disability. B describes a phenomenon that is typical of most second-language learners regardless of their backgrounds and is not specific to or indicative of learners with special needs or exceptionalities.
