The process of acquiring a language is a slow, steady, and distinctly layered affair. As with most things in life, we start at the beginning and work through the process until we reach the end. And while language learning is not always strictly linear, it does take us through comparable and somewhat predictable territory, feature by feature and stage by stage (Lightbown & Spada, 2013). We could say all this somewhat less awkwardly by linking the terms 'language learning' and 'language teaching,' as when we usually talk about them it is in the same breath. The five stages we'll discuss next each represent significant steps in the accomplishment of those considerable tasks (Krashen, 1982).
1. The Silent Stage (Receptive Stage)
The initial stage, referred to as the silent period, allows learners to zero in on soaking up the new language as they concentrate on its worth. This is a stage that some may perceive as a stage of inactivity; however, the internal mechanisms of the brain are functioning and coming to an understanding of what a new language lifespan means (Gass & Selinker, 2008). Observation is real, not just for the classroom but also for the mind. Observation allows learners to see what they are not just hearing but really understanding in the new language. How is this stage characterized? By a totally quiet classroom with students who are really not that quiet at all, but in the stage of coming to a new language understanding (Ellis, 1997).
2. Early Production
During initial communicative competence, learners are developing the basic building blocks of language. They have a limited “survival” vocabulary and can use some simple grammar (Brown, 2007). They like to speak with one-word answers or few-word phrases. They are progressing but have a long way to go. Communication is the goal, not flawless language (Krashen, 1982). If they give an answer with several mistakes but the meaning is clear, that's good enough for now. It's vital to keep the stress level low. As teachers, we should in no way reprimand a student for making a mistake. That won't help at all. If the student is speaking in English, that's success.
3. Speech Emergence
This stage can be thought of as speech development for the not yet perfectly speaking English learner (Gass & Selinker, 2008). In this stage, English learners can improve the English they already have. They can better it by using what they learnt in the previous stages. At this point, English learners communicate with relative ease. They still make some errors, but meaningful communication is what now drives their instruction (Lightbown & Spada, 2013).
4. Intermediate Fluency
When students reach the Intermediate Fluency stage, they can deal with a more sophisticated and complex language (Brown, 2007). In some environments, they may even start to think in the second language (Gass & Selinker, 2008). Their speech becomes fluid and allows for extended conversational turns in which they express opinions or discuss issues in more depth. Even though learners at this stage are pretty comfortable using the second language, they're still in need of a modest amount of corrective feedback, as there are certain grammar points that are still a bit foggy and could definitely be made clearer (Ellis, 1997).
5. Advanced Fluency
It takes from two to ten years for a student to reach the final stage, where near-native proficiency is attained (Krashen, 1982). The individual can now handle sophisticated talk and produce language easily in any context, academic or social (Lightbown & Spada, 2013). Occasionally, the student may stumble over an idiom or a specialised vocabulary word, but these aren't really errors; they just show that the language is still being learned. Because the brain has adapted to the new language and the structures it contains, the speaker can "think" in the language but has still not reached the 100 percent mark when it comes to "using" that language either socially, academically, or in the workplace (Ellis, 1997). Continued practice and exposure to the language are vital to maintaining advanced fluency.
- Reece Benson
Sharing insights on language learning and teaching.
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