Stages of Language Proficiency

DESCRIPTIONS

The silent period - at time for receptive language acquisition lasting an average of ten hours to three months of interaction (will vary with individual). In addition, students develop listening skills. It is not necessary for the student to speak. Students should never be forced to speak.

Period of limited production, progress will vary, lasting an average of six months to two years of instruction.

Period of expanded production, progress will vary. Error corrections should be limited to modeling and expansion of student's language. This period may last from two to four years.

Period of continued vocabulary expansion to develop higher levels of language use in content areas. Reading and writing activities are incorporated into lessons.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDENT

1. Non-English speaker

2. May include student who has some understanding but is too shy to speak.

1. Has limited understanding

2. Can speak one or two-word phrases

1. Understanding has become expanded.

2. Less hesitation to speak

1. Understanding has expanded beyond communicative competence

2. Has attained high levels of CALP in primary language

3. Limited or no hesitancy to speak

VOCABULARY GOAL

500 words (receptive)

1,000 words receptive

(10% production)

2,000 words receptive

(10 production)

GOALS FOR THE STUDENT

1. To develop listening comprehension skills

2. To build a receptive vocabulary

1. To put words together into simple sentences

2. To carry on meaningful dialogues

1. To put words together into simple sentences

2. To carry on meaningful dialogues

1. To continue to expand their receptive and expressive skills

2. To produce connected oral, and written narratives

NATURAL PROGRESSION

1. Yes or No responses

2. One-word sentences

3. Name words in list

4. Short phrases

5. Simple sentences

1. Speech production becomes longer, more complex

2. Long phrases; complete sentences

3. More extensive vocabulary

4. Corrections level improves

5. Open dialogue

6. Extended discourse

7. Narrative

1. Are able to produce fluent speech (connected narrative)

2. Can conduct casual conversations

3. Can participate in academic and problem-solving discussions

4. May debate

5. Can conduct reviews

6. Extensive dialogues in communicative situations

TEACHER ACTIVITIES

1. Seeks to develop listening comprehension

2. Seeks to build receptive vocabulary

3. Provides opportunities to listen

4. Uses visual aids

5. Speaks more slowly to facilitate comprehension

6. Emphasizes and reiterates key words

7. Uses gestures

8. Acts out scenes whenever possible

9. Does not force production

1. Seeks to build receptive vocabulary

2. Seeks to develop active vocabulary

3. Structures questions that require responses appropriate to early production students

4. Allows for mistakes in pronunciation, form grammar and word usage

1. Seeks to develop receptive and active vocabulary

2. Seeks to develop higher level thinking skills

3. Seeks to develop and extend verbal expression

4. Structures questions that require responses appropriate to speech emergent students

5. Provides situations that will encourage speech production that is longer

and more complex

1. Develops a skill in following a lecture

2. Selects higher thinking skills on which to focus

3. Provides extensive practice

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

1. Performs an action

2. Points to an item in picture

3. Manipulates items to demonstrate understanding

4. Imitates

5. Nod

6. Writes a letter (a,b.c) corresponding to a picture

7. Says yes or no

8. Says name of other students

1. Gives yes or no answers

2. Gives one-word answers to “either-or” questions

3. Gives one-word answers to general questions

4. Gives list of words

5. Uses two-word strings

6. Uses global expressions

1. Uses three-word strings

2. Uses short phrases

3. Uses longer phrases

4. Uses complete sentences

5. Participates in dialogues

6. Engages in simple storytelling

1. Engages in extended discourse

2. Uses narrative form

3. Retells story

4. Writes stories

5. Uses complex statements

6. States opinion

7. Reports on events

8. Gives instructions

NATURAL APPROACH AND TPR ACTIVITIES

1. Development of vocabulary using pictures

2. Games requiring non-verbal responses

3. Physical activities

4. Following directions in art, music, crafts, etc.

1. Charades

2. Pictures

3. Role-playing

4. Open-ended sentences

5. Open dialogues

6. Interviews with guidelines

7. Recites short poems

8. Sings songs

1. Charts

2. Tables

3. Graphs

4. Newspaper ads

5. Group discussions

6. Skits

7. Preferences ranking

8. Games

9. Close activities with songs, radio, TV

10. Filmstrips

11. Filling out forms

12. Descriptions of visuals

1. Paraphrasing

2. Negotiating meaning

3. Defending

4. Oral-discussions

5. Guided discourses

6. Group panels

7. Assumptions

8. Conjecture

9. Predictions

LITERATURE

Introduce literacy skills in native language.

Continue developing literacy skills in native language.

1. Should follow ESL oral activities for students with well-developed primary language literacy skills. In general will not occur at

   K-2.

2. Second - language literacy probably will be delayed for students lacking primary language literacy skills.

   1. Need time to acquire English

   2. Lack primary language Skills to facilitate transfer

1. Should follow ESL oral activities for students with developed primary literacy skills

2. Introduction into second- language literacy.