Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC) English Language Arts / Literacy: Speaking and Listening Syllabus

English Language Arts / Literacy: Speaking and Listening syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English Language Arts / Literacy: Speaking and Listening in Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Comprehending Spoken and Multimedia Information

   3 topics

   • Listening for Main Ideas and Details
     • Identifying key points in audio
     • Note-taking from spoken sources
   • Interpreting Multimedia Presentations
     • Integrating audio and visual elements
     • Evaluating media for purpose and bias
   • Evaluating a Speaker's Argument
     • Identifying claims and evidence in speech
     • Spotting faulty reasoning
2. 2

   Collaborative Discussion

   3 topics

   • Preparing for Discussion
     • Reviewing material in advance
     • Setting goals and roles
   • Building on Others' Ideas
     • Posing and responding to questions
     • Acknowledging differing perspectives
   • Reaching Consensus and Decisions
3. 3

   Presenting Information

   3 topics

   • Organizing a Presentation
     • Clear sequence of ideas
     • Supporting evidence and reasoning
   • Adapting to Audience and Task
     • Formal versus informal register
     • Tailoring content to listeners
   • Using Digital Media and Visuals

English Language Arts / Literacy: Speaking and Listening flashcards for Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC)

20 of 51 cards from the English Language Arts / Literacy: Speaking and Listening deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In listening comprehension, what is the difference between a main idea and a supporting detail?

   The main idea is the central point or message a speaker conveys; supporting details are the specific facts, examples, reasons, or explanations that develop and back up that main idea.

2. What is the key skill of 'listening for main ideas and details'?

   Identifying a speaker's central message while also tracking the specific evidence, examples, and explanations used to support it, distinguishing essential information from minor details.

3. What strategy helps a listener identify the main idea of an oral presentation?

   Listen for the topic plus the speaker's most repeated, emphasized, or summarized point—often stated at the beginning or end—and ask 'What is this mostly about?'

4. What are signal (transition) words that indicate a supporting detail or example is coming?

   Words and phrases such as 'for example,' 'for instance,' 'specifically,' 'such as,' 'in addition,' and 'another reason' signal that details supporting the main idea follow.

5. Why is paraphrasing useful when listening for main ideas and details?

   Restating what a speaker said in your own words confirms understanding, helps you retain key information, and reveals gaps where you missed the meaning.

6. What is the difference between hearing and active listening?

   Hearing is the passive physical perception of sound; active listening is the intentional process of attending, interpreting, and responding to a speaker's message.

7. What note-taking technique helps capture main ideas and details during a presentation?

   Recording the main idea as a heading and indenting related details beneath it (outlining), so the hierarchy between central point and support is clear.

8. In Speaking and Listening, what does it mean to 'interpret information presented in diverse media and formats'?

   It means analyzing and explaining content delivered visually, quantitatively, and orally (e.g., charts, video, audio, graphics) and integrating it with what is learned through text or speech.

9. What are the three broad forms of information a multimedia presentation can present?

   Visual (images, video, graphics), quantitative (charts, graphs, data), and oral (spoken words, audio), often combined to convey a message.

10. When interpreting a multimedia presentation, what question should you ask about why a particular medium was chosen?

    Ask what the medium adds—e.g., how a video, image, or graph clarifies, emphasizes, or persuades in a way words alone could not—and why the creator selected it.

11. How can visuals or graphics in a presentation distort or mislead an audience?

    Through manipulated scales on graphs, selective or cropped images, emotionally loaded pictures, or data shown out of context that exaggerate or downplay information.

12. What is 'integrating' multiple sources of information in a multimedia presentation?

    Combining what you learn from words, visuals, audio, and data into one coherent understanding, noting how the sources reinforce, extend, or contradict each other.

13. When evaluating a speaker's argument, what three components should you identify?

    The claim (the position taken), the reasons (logic supporting the claim), and the evidence (facts, data, or examples used to back the reasons).

14. What does it mean to evaluate the 'soundness of reasoning' in a speaker's argument?

    Judging whether the logic is valid—whether the reasons actually support the claim and lead logically to the conclusion without flaws.

15. What does it mean to evaluate the 'relevance and sufficiency of evidence'?

    Relevance asks whether the evidence actually relates to and supports the claim; sufficiency asks whether there is enough evidence to justify it.

16. What is a logical fallacy, and why should listeners watch for it?

    A logical fallacy is a flaw in reasoning that weakens an argument; spotting it helps listeners recognize when a conclusion is not actually supported by the evidence or logic.

17. Define the 'ad hominem' fallacy.

    An ad hominem fallacy attacks the person making an argument rather than addressing the argument itself.

18. Define the 'bandwagon' (appeal to popularity) fallacy.

    The bandwagon fallacy claims something is true or right simply because many people believe or do it.

19. What is a hasty generalization?

    A hasty generalization is a conclusion drawn from too little or unrepresentative evidence, applying a few cases to a much broader group.

20. What are the three classical rhetorical appeals a speaker may use to persuade?

    Ethos (appeal to credibility/character), pathos (appeal to emotion), and logos (appeal to logic and evidence).

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