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As students acquire a second language, they progress through a series of
predictable stages, similar to first language acquisition (Krashen & Terrell, 1983).
By interacting with and observing our students, we can identify their stages of language
proficiency. This knowledge is combined with what is already known about the students in
order to plan appropriate instruction. Although students progress through the stages in
order, they do not always progress at the same rate of sped, nor are each of the stages of
equal duration. For example, the preproduction stage typically takes less time than other
stages, and the intermediate fluency stage can last a few years.
Pre-Production
Students:
 | Do not yet produce speech
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| Listen and begin to respond by using nonverbal signals
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| Internalize significant pieces of information
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| Participate through physical actions
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Teachers:
| Provide comprehensible input/abundant contextual clues using visuals,
realia, manipulative, gestures, etc.
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| Model all expected behavior
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| Encourage students to follow simple directions involving physical
actions
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| Encourage students to join in group songs, chants, recitations, etc.
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| Encourage students to participate in role playing activities
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| Check comprehension frequently
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Early Production
Students:
| Respond with one or two words
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| Attend to hands-on demonstrations with greeter comprehension
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| Initiate conversations by pointing and using single words
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| Respond nonverbally to a wider range of language input
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Teachers:
| Continue to use pre-productive stage strategies
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| Use questioning strategies eliciting one or two words such as
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yes/no questions
Descriptive: Is this a ________?
Predictable: Will the hen share the bread?
Generalizations: Does the sun ever shine at night?
Referential: Did you like the story?
either/or questions
Is this a ________ or a ________?
Do you like ________or ________?
"WH" questions
What color is the ________?
When do you get here?
Speech Emergence
Students:
| Begin speaking in phrases and short sentences
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| Use speech that sounds telegraphic: " I go home now."
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| Make many errors of grammar and syntax as they experiment with language
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Teachers:
| Continue to use strategies from earlier stages such as
contextualization, modeling, demonstrations and comprehension checks
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| Model standard language structures
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| Ask questions requiring responses of phrases and short sentences
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| Expand student responses through modeling and expanded conversations
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| Avoid overt error correction
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Intermediate Fluency
Students:
| Respond with a flow of related phrases and sentences
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| Engage in discourse
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| Communicate their thoughts more effectively
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| Engage in everyday conversations without relaying on concrete contextual
support
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| Begin to develop more academic language
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Teachers:
| Continue to provide comprehensible input and contextualized lessons
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| Utilize SDAIE strategies
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| Ask questions requiring expanded responses
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| Ask more referential questions
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What would you do if _________?
What else might happen?
Stage 1
Interpreted Communication
(0 to ca. 4 months)
Language Characteristics
| No intention to communicate
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| Cries, coos and expressions are interpreted by caregiver
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| Begins to focus on caregiver's speech
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Training Goals
| Improve visual and auditory attention
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| Develop communicative turn-taking
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| Establish intentional communication and cause/effect
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| Provide linguistic stimulation
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Stage 2
Intentional Communication
(4 to ca. 9 months)
Language Characteristics
| Expresses intent primarily through eye gaze
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| Comprehension of words as abstract concepts emerges
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| Complex gaze coupling develops
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Training Goals
| Improve ability to signal intentionally
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| Increase attention to words
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| Develop symbolic comprehension
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Stage 3
Single Words
(9 to ca. 18 months)
Language Characteristics
| Comprehends object names as symbols of basic categories
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| Understands verbs
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| Uses single words in combination with gestures and the environment to
communicate
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Training Goals
| Increase symbolic comprehension
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| Develop core vocabulary
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| Introduce word combinations
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Stage 4
Word Combinations
(18 to ca. 24 months)
Language Characteristics
| Comprehends a core vocabulary
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| Two word combinations emerge
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| Word combinations describe here-and-now environment events
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Training Goals
| Develop simple sentence structures
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| Foster language exploration and growth
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| Continue vocabulary and category development
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Stage 5
Early Syntax
(24 to ca. 36 months)
Language Characteristics
| Short, simple sentences emerge
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| Utterances lack grammatical refinement and complexity
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| Comprehension goes beyond the here-and-now
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Training Goals
| Improve knowledge of grammar
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| Expand sentence structure
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| Enhance and expand vocabulary concepts
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Stage 6
Syntax Mastery
(3 to ca. 5 years)
Language Characteristics
| Uses simple and complex sentences
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| Masters most grammatical constructions
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| Limited comprehension of abstract relationships among words
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Training Goals
| Increase knowledge and use of advance syntax structures
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| Increase semantic knowledge
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| Improve auditory processing
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| Foster critical thinking
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Stage 7
Complete Generative Grammar
(5 years and up)
Language Characteristics
| Develops complete linguistic code
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| Establishes metalinguistic command over structures and semantics
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| Develops reading/writing skills
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Training Goals
| Develop secondary language skills of reading/writing
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| Provide advanced semantic training
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| Enhance abstract concepts
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References
Krashen, S. and Terrell, T. (1983) The Natural
Approach. Hayward: The Alemany Press.
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