Stages of Second Language Acquisition
All new learners of English progress through the same stages to acquire language. However, the length of time each student spends at a particular stage may vary greatly.
Stage I: Pre-production
This is the silent period. English language learners may have up to 500 words in their receptive vocabulary but they are not yet speaking. Some students will, however, repeat every thing you say. They are not really producing language but are parroting.
These new learners of English will listen attentively and they may even be able to copy words from the board. They will be able to respond to pictures and other visuals. They can understand and duplicate gestures and movements to show comprehension. Total Physical Response methods will work well with them. Teachers should focus attention on listening comprehension activities and on building a receptive vocabulary.
English language learners at this stage will need much repetition of English. They will benefit from a “buddy” who speaks their language. Remember that the school day is exhausting for these newcomers as they are overwhelmed with listening to English language all day long.
Stage II: Early production
This stage may last up to six months and students will develop a receptive and active vocabulary of about 1000 words. During this stage, students can usually speak in one- or two-word phrases. They can use short language chunks that have been memorized although these chunks may not always be used correctly.
Here are some suggestions for working with students in this stage of English language learning:
• Ask yes/no and either/or questions.
• Accept one or two word responses.
• Give students the opportunity to participate in some of the whole class activities.
• Use pictures and realia to support questions.
• Modify content information to the language level of ELLs.
• Build vocabulary using pictures.
• Provide listening activities.
• Simplify the content materials to be used. Focus on key vocabulary and concepts.
• When teaching elementary age ELLs, use simple books with predictable text.
• Support learning with graphic organizers, charts and graphs. Begin to foster writing in English through labeling and short sentences. Use a frame to scaffold writing.
Stage III: Speech emergence
Students have developed a vocabulary of about 3,000 words and can communicate with simple phrases and sentences. They will ask simple questions, that may or may not be grammatically correct, such as “ May I go to bathroom? ” ELLs will also initiate short conversations with classmates. They will understand easy stories read in class with the support of pictures. They will also be able to do some content work with teacher support. Here are some simple tasks they can complete:
• Sound out stories phonetically.
• Read short, modified texts in content area subjects.
• Complete graphic organizers with word banks.
• Understand and answer questions about charts and graphs.
• Match vocabulary words to definitions.
• Study flashcards with content area vocabulary.
• Participate in duet, pair and choral reading activities.
• Write and illustrate riddles.
• Understand teacher explanations and two-step directions.
• Compose brief stories based on personal experience.
• Write in dialogue journals.
Dialogue journals are a conversation between the teacher and the student. They are especially helpful with English language learners. Students can write about topics that interest them and proceed at their own level and pace. They have a place to express their thoughts and ideas.
Stage IV: Intermediate fluency
English language learners at the intermediate fluency stage have a vocabulary of 6000 active words. They are beginning to use more complex sentences when speaking and writing and are willing to express opinions and share their thoughts. They will ask questions to clarify what they are learning in class. These English language learners will be able to work in grade level math and science classes with some teacher support. Comprehension of English literature and social studies content is increasing. At this stage, students will use strategies from their native language to learn content in English.
Student writing at this stage will have many errors as ELLs try to master the complexity of English grammar and sentence structure. Many students may be translating written assignments from native language. They should be expected to synthesize what they have learned and to make inferences from that learning. This is the time for teachers to focus on learning strategies. Students in this stage will also be able to understand more complex concepts.
Stage V: Advanced Fluency
It takes students from 4-10 years to achieve cognitive academic language proficiency in a second language. Student at this stage will be near-native in their ability to perform in content area learning. Most ELLs at this stage have been exited from ESL and other support programs. At the beginning of this stage, however, they will need continued support from classroom teachers especially in content areas such as history/social studies and in writing.
Teaching English As A Second Language: Methods And Techniques
Teaching English to speakers of other languages is both challenging and rewarding. More and more internationally minded people are choosing to teach English as a Second Language both in the United States and abroad. Whether in the United States, another English-speaking country, or in countries around the world, the teacher of English as a second language will need to keep in mind the following simple guidelines:
- Use non-verbal cues. Facial expressions, hand gestures, and other non-verbal cues are a great way to overcome the language barrier. For example, when explaining the concept of tall, raise your hand high into the air. When explaining the concept of cold, shiver and chatter your teeth.
- Use visual aids. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is particularly true when teaching English as a second language. Visual aids can be used to teach everything from vocabulary to prepositions. In addition to instructional advantages, visuals keep lessons interesting for the learners. If possible, get access to an overhead or slide projector for effective presentations.
- Put students in groups. If the teacher is constantly talking, learners of English as a second language will never get a chance to practice. Group work gives students an opportunity to practice the language. Groups work the best with 2 to 5 people; with any more people, not everyone gets a chance to participate. It is also a good idea to group students with different first languages together when possible.
- Use bi-lingual materials. If the teacher speaks the same language(s) as the students, the situation will be greatly simplified. But not many teachers have the luxury of speaking the same language(s) of his/her students. Bi-lingual materials can help a teacher of English as a second language to draw on a student's native language without knowing it him/herself.
- Repeat and rephrase. Teachers of English as a second language need to repeat everything at least three times. They should also vary the wording of their remarks. A student may know one set of vocabulary but not another - even when the topic of discussion is the same. Even if the student does understand a concept upon first explanation, he/she will still benefit from the repetition and variation of language. It will expose him/her to new words and phrases.
- Don't over-correct. Our first instinct as teachers of English as a second language is to correct student language errors. Over-correction, however, can make students reluctant to use the language. If afraid of being corrected every time they speak, students will simply stop speaking - and therefore learning - the language. Of course, there are appropriate times to correct language mistakes. If a concept - for example the past tense - has been discussed at length in class, it is appropriate to correct students when they form the past tense improperly.
- Create a safe atmosphere. Learning English as a second language is not an easy thing emotionally. Students will feel self-conscious about their lack of English ability and will thus be reluctant to use the language. The job of the teacher of English as a second language is to create a safe and supportive environment, one in which the student will be comfortable experimenting with the language. That means that laughing at or putting down others can not be tolerated in any way, shape, or form.
Good luck with all of your teaching plans!
Let’s get started for working on English basics including ABCs and 123s, spelling rules. English tenses and important grammar points are explained with follow-up quizzes. Other resources will help you build your vocabulary and practice. There are mainly four parts of English, listening, Reading, Writing & Speaking
ESL (English as a second language), ESOL (English for speakers of other languages), and EFL (English as a foreign language) all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with a different native language. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is described below. These terms are most commonly used in relation to teaching and learning English, but they may also be used in relation to demographic information.
ELT (English language teaching) is a widely-used teacher-centered term, as in the English language teaching divisions of large publishing houses, ELT training, etc. The abbreviations TESL (teaching English as a second language), TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) and TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) are also used.
Other terms used in this field include EAL (English as an additional language), EIL (English as an international language), ELF (English as a lingua franca), ESP (English for special purposes, or English for specific purposes), EAP (English for academic purposes). Some terms that refer to those who are learning English are ELL (English language learner), LEP (limited English proficiency) and CLD (culturally and linguistically diverse).
Terminology and types
The many acronyms and abbreviations used in the field of English teaching and learning may be confusing. English is a language with great reach and influence; it is taught all over the world under many different circumstances. In English-speaking countries, English language teaching has essentially evolved in two broad directions: instruction for people who intend to live in an English-speaking country and for those who don't. These divisions have grown firmer as the instructors of these two "industries" have used different terminology, followed distinct training qualifications, formed separate professional associations, and so on. Crucially, these two arms have very different funding structures, public in the former and private in the latter, and to some extent this influences the way schools are established and classes are held. Matters are further complicated by the fact that the United States and the United Kingdom, both major engines of the language, describe these categories in different terms: as many eloquent users of the language have observed, "England and America are two countries divided by a common language." (Attributed to Winston Churchill, George Bernard Shaw, and Oscar Wilde.) The following technical definitions may therefore have their currency contested.
Difficulties for learners
Language teaching practice often assumes that most of the difficulties that learners face in the study of English are a consequence of the degree to which their native language differs from English (a contrastive analysis approach). A native speaker of Chinese, for example, may face many more difficulties than a native speaker of German, because German is closely related to English, whereas Chinese is not. This may be true for anyone of any mother tongue (also called first language, normally abbreviated L1) setting out to learn any other language (called a target language, second language or L2). See also second language acquisition (SLA) for mixed evidence from linguistic research.
Language learners often produce errors of syntax and pronunciation thought to result from the influence of their L1, such as mapping its grammatical patterns inappropriately onto the L2, pronouncing certain sounds incorrectly or with difficulty, and confusing items of vocabulary known as false friends. This is known as L1 transfer or "language interference". However, these transfer effects are typically stronger for beginners' language production, and SLA research has highlighted many errors which cannot be attributed to the L1, as they are attested in learners of many language backgrounds (for example, failure to apply 3rd person present singular -s to verbs, as in 'he make').
Some students may have very different cultural perceptions in the classroom as far as learning a second language is concerned. Also, cultural differences in communication styles and preferences are significant. For example, a study looked at Chinese ESL students and British teachers and found that the Chinese learners did not see classroom discussion and interaction as important but placed a heavy emphasis on teacher-directed lectures.
