Stages of Second Language Acquisition

This guide outlines the 5 stages of second language acquisition adapted from:

Gass, S. M. & Selinker, L. (2008). Second language acquisition: An introductory course (3rd Edition). Mahwah, NJ. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Publisher.

Can last from 2 weeks to about 6 months.

• Comprehends nothing or only a few high frequency words/phrase
• Indicates comprehension non- verbally/physically (nods, pointing, gestures, drawing etc.)
• Comprehension is entirely context dependent (relies on visuals)
• Produces minimal independent speech. May experience “silent period”
• Relies on first language in speech; seeks out L1 speakers 
• Responds with memorized expressions or patterned sentences
• Uses repetition (parroting) of spoken English words/phrases in rehearsed settings
• Uses verbs in present tense
• Pronunciation interferes with meaning
• Fatigued by midday

Can last an additional 6 months beyond pre-production.

• Begins to comprehend language chunks
• Can indicate comprehension physically (pointing, gesturing)
• Can indicate comprehension orally with one- or two-word responses
• Demonstrates reluctancy in classroom activities—observes classmates before initiating task
• Relies on visuals and known phrases to comprehend (cognates)
• Approximates pronunciation; may make frequent pronunciation errors 
• Makes frequent grammatical errors (adds/omits words, switches word error) 
• Speaks in one- or two-word phrases
• Uses patterned and predictable affirmative and negative statements, questions, commands
• Uses tenses with tense errors. Uses verbs with overgeneralizations of -es and -ed word endings. 
• Begins to use descriptive words, and subject-specific words 

Can last up to 1 year.

• Still requires “comprehensible input” (slow speech, enunciation, visual cues, anchor charts, demonstration, etc.)
• Competent in most familiar social interactions/uses social expressions with ease
• Reluctant to take academic risks
• Asks simple questions and initiates brief conversations
• Uses simple sentences with regular plurals, possessive pronouns, prepositions, verbs in all tenses. Continued verb agreement errors and tense errors
• Uses descriptive words, subject-specific words, in familiar language structures
• Uses appropriate intonation/pronunciation in unfamiliar and unrehearsed activities, with occasional errors
• Uses circumlocution (more words than necessary), clarifying questions. Provides examples and opposites
• Uses message replacement (using known words for unknown words),  everyday expressions, everyday questions

Can last up to 1 year.

• Competent in most social and academic situations
• Uses academic language to clearly state opinions. Uses compound sentence structures, conditional sentence structures.
• Uses negatives, adjective phrases, irregular plurals, verbs in all tenses with some usage errors
• Able to go back and forth between first language and English OR may have lost first language 
• Uses appropriate expression and inflection in a variety of contexts with increasing accuracy
• Initiates and sustains a conversation with peers and adults by commenting, making a personal connection, questioning
• Able to use complex sentences to share thoughts, state opinions and ask for clarification
• Gr. 4-12: May prefer to communicate in writing. May  have learned strategies that mask perceived need for ESL assistance
• High School/Secondary:  Uses elaborating,  commenting, restating, and questioning to sustain communication. May have fossilized grammar or syntax errors

Can last up to 3-5 years.

• Confident in all social and academic situations with peers and teachers. Uses a variety of strategies to close language or cultural gaps
• Native-like English fluency or have accented speech (expected and accepted)
• Uses visuals and models to support acquisition of abstract language and concepts
• Able to write with more complexity in English, though writing may exhibit many errors in both spelling and grammar
• Manipulates word order to convey precise meaning in complex sentence structures
• Uses phrasal expressions, conditional structures, a range of past, present, future and perfect tenses in active and passive voice with occasional errors
• Uses words with multiple meanings to discuss topics, state opinions, inquire,  persuade
• High School/Secondary: Seeks elaboration of someone else’s ideas by paraphrasing, clarifying, redirecting, asking rhetorical questions. Able to use humor/sarcasm appropriately.