Stages of Language Acquisition- - IAASE

[Pages:3]Stages of Language Acquisition-

Stage One: The Silent Period

True silent period; could last up to six months Students may have up to 500 words in their receptive language vocabulary, but

are not yet speaking. Some students will parrot language, (not really producing own language). Will often listen attentively, not necessarily understanding all concepts- but some Students respond to visuals. Can understand and duplicate gestures and movements to show comprehension

(Total Physical Response method useful even at this early stage) Teachers can focus instruction on building a receptive vocabulary. Teachers can focus instruction on listening comprehension. Students need A LOT of repetition. Students will begin to respond with "yes" and "no" or nodding. This is genuine

progress in the areas of confidence and receptive language.

Stage Two: Early Production

This stage could generally last up to six months. Students have developed about 1,000 words in their receptive and active

vocabularies. Students generally speak in one and two word phrases and sometimes chunk

language- using it appropriately or inappropriately. (example: instead of "May I go to the bathroom?" it could be "I go bathroom." ) Usually teachers can probe for simple answers in this stage: who, what, where, and yes or no type questions Active suggestions for teachers in this stage include:

Ask yes/no and either/or questions Accept short responses of 1-2 words Provide opportunities for students to participate in whole class activities.*

*especially those involving minimal use of oral language and more active physical or hands on participation

Use picture cues and representations in daily instruction Provide listening activities with repetition Simplify content and material to be used Focus on key vocabulary and concepts At elementary level, use simple books with predictable text Support instruction with graphic organizers, charts and graphs Foster writing through labeling and short sentences Scaffold writing instruction

Stage Three: Speech Emergence

This stage generally lasts up to one year. Students have developed approximately 3,000 words in their repertoire. Students use short phrases and simple sentences to communicate. Students are more eager to work with peers. Read some text more independently, especially when supported with pictures May begin to ask questions in a clearer capacity: "Can I go to the bathroom?" Students begin to produce longer sentences when articulating themselves orally.

Often times, students will make grammatical errors that interfere with his or her oral proficiency/communication. Active suggestions for teachers in this stage include:

Sound out stories phonetically Read short, modified text in content areas Use word banks daily in graphic organizers and on varied assignments,

as appropriate. Elicit student interactions and responses related to reading and interpreting

basic information from charts and graphs Match vocabulary words to definitions Promote use of flashcards for content vocabulary- keep it simple Choral reading, reader theatre, memorization Write and illustrate riddles Compose brief stories based on personal experience*

*Base as much as you can on the student's personal experienceit is key. Personal experience = confidence!

Dialogue through a student/teacher and teacher/student journal--with minimal to no editing. Teach by illustrating it the correct way in your response as the teacher.

Stage Four: Intermediate Fluency

This stage generally lasts up to one year. Students have an active vocabulary of around 6,000 words. Students are beginning to use a more complex vocabulary in oral and written

expression. Willingness to express thoughts and opinions. Students speak in greater length. Students ask for clarification and ask content-based questions at this stage. Work in grade level math and science with generally minimal support Comprehension of English Literature and Social Studies is increasing Students can transfer academic strategies from their native language to English.

 Active suggestions for teachers in this stage include: -Assist in developing strategies to synthesize information. -In relationship to writing assignments, at this stage it still is not recommended to take points off for grammatical errors. As students increase the amount they want to share/write grading against grammatical errors should not occur, as it could stifle them.

Stage Five: Advanced Fluency (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)

It takes four to ten years total to acquire full acquisition of a second language, (so the total includes each of the above stages plus this stage).

Most ELL students at this stage have been exited from ESL support. At the beginning of this final stage in the acquisition process classroom teachers

may still need to provide extended support and cues in content areas such as History and Social Studies. Additional support in writing is also common for this stage.

***Regarding time frames and specific characteristics- it could be different and varied dependant upon the child.

I referenced the following websites in this document:

NWREL websiterequest/2003/may

Everything ESL- a great resource for teachers of ELLs- facilitated by Judi Haynesinservices/language_stages

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