Level 1 – Newcomer
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 (acting out physically or drawing pictures while you explain your point) 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.
Abilities:
- Understands very little English
- May not talk at all
- May speak only in their primary language
- Is learning to understand basic conversation and instructions
- Is beginning to speak in one- and two-word phrases
- Is beginning to learn about American culture
The teacher can:
- Teach basic survival English, such as “bathroom”, “lunch”, “home”
- Help the student to learn the classroom routines.
- Use a student buddy – if possible, someone with the same language
- Label objects around the room
- Speak slowly and clearly
- Provide books on tape
- Provide books with patterned sentence structure and pictures
- Be patient, give the student a few weeks (or months) to adjust
- Learn what you can about the student’s culture
- Use visual clues as much as possible, such as pictures, gestures, pointing
The student can:
- Draw pictures to explain their answers
- Select and/or circle the correct answer
- Use picture cards to retell or relate information
- State ideas related to text in words and phrases
- Act out a story non-verbally
- Label pictures
- Sort key words and concepts
- Answer yes/no and choice questions
- Analyze and evaluate ideas using yes/no or color cards
- Respond in words and simple phrases
- Point to key words or answers
Level 2 – Beginner
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:
Abilities:
- Understands most basic directions
- Can respond with one or two word answers or simple sentences
- Uses English vocabulary that is still very limited
- Probably understands more than s/he can express
- Frequently hesitates when thinking of appropriate words when participating in conversations
- Communicate best through use of familiar high-frequency words and phrases
- Continues to learn about American culture
The teacher can:
- Continue to use visual clues as much as possible
- Continue to use a student buddy
- Teach phonemic rules and skills
- Model correct usage, but don’t over correct
- Focus content on key concepts while using language skills
- Use performance-based assessment
- Model correct open-ended responses
- Provide structured response stems such as, “The slope in this graph shows. . .”
- Use academic vocabulary
- Encourage peer interaction
- Use appropriate wait time
- 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 (real-life objects) 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.
The student can:
- Retell a story in simple sentences
- Define a concept in pictures and simple sentences
- Compare and contrast ideas and concepts
- Provide short summaries of information learned
- Ask and answer factual questions
- Select information that completes an inferential statement
- Apply knowledge of word relationships when explaining ideas
- Recall simple facts
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | TOP
Level 3 – Intermediate
Students have developed a vocabulary of about 3,000 words and can communicate with simple phrases and sentences. They will ask simple question, 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:
Abilities:
- May still have some incorrect grammar usage
- Speaks in some detail on familiar topics
- May not understand complicated spoken English
- May not understand many idioms and homonyms
- May not grasp underlying meanings in a story because of vocabulary
- Continues to acquire reading and writing skills in content areas needed to achieve grade level
expectations with assistance
- Participates in social and academic conversations with some pauses to restate, repeat or search
for word
The teacher can:
- Actively teach thinking and study skills
- Check for understanding of vocabulary in language arts and content areas. Don’t assume the
student understands the words in reading selections.
- Help with writing skills, especially grammatical structure
- Explain idioms
- If possible, provide reading selections on tape so students can listen and read along. (School
volunteers are a good source for making tapes.)
- Modify or simplify assignments to meet students’ abilities
- Provide target vocabulary for each unit of study
- Have students design questions, directions, and activities for others to follow
- Encourage solo reading
- Continue to provide structured response stems to open-ended questions
- Encourage students to get help after school
The student can:
- Understand and speak conversational and academic English with decreasing hesitancy and difficulty
- Demonstrate academic knowledge in content areas with assistance
- Recall key facts
- Retell a story in detail
- Compare and contrast ideas and concepts
- Summarize information learned
- Analyze and evaluate ideas with scaffolding
- Synthesize information in a variety of ways
- Select information that completes an inferential statement
- Apply knowledge of word relationships when explaining ideas
- Complete graphic organizers with word banks
- Understand and answer questions about charts and graphs.
- Read short, modified texts in content area subjects.
- Sound out stories phonetically.
- 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.
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | TOP
Level 4 – Advanced
English language learners at the advanced 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.
Abilities:
- Participates in social and academic conversations with only occasional disruptions or pauses and
minimal English-language assistance
- Communicates effectively on abstract topics, except when specialized or academically
demanding vocabulary is needed
- Understands most conversational English
- Has limited understanding of less commonly used words
- Speaks in fluent sentences using standard grammar
- Participates in reading and writing activities
- Experiences some difficulties with abstract, cognitively demanding topics when a high degree of
literacy is required
- May still have cultural conflicts or misunderstanding
The teacher can:
- Continue to make lessons comprehensible and interactive
- Actively teach thinking and study skills
- Continue to check for understanding of vocabulary in language arts and content areas.
- Continue to provide structured response stems to open ended questions
- Actively teach thinking and study skills
- Promote critical analysis and evaluation of pertinent problems and solutions
- Provide target vocabulary for each unit of study
- Have students design questions, directions, and activities for others to follow
- Encourage solo reading
- Continue to provide structured response stems to open-ended question
The student can:
- Explain ideas and provide supporting information
- Express concepts using academic language
- Evaluate information using complete sentences
- Support ideas and use correct grammatical structures
- Synthesize information learned
- Apply word knowledge to comprehend texts
- Participate in role-plays and simulations
- Analyze charts, graphs, and other pictorial representations of information and explain what they see
- Use graphic organizers to scaffold writing activities
- Respond to various academic topics
- Predict outcomes and future events
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | TOP
Level 5 – Proficient
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.
Abilities:
- Has a speaking proficiency equivalent to that of an educated native speaker
- Has complete fluency in the language, such that speech on all levels is fully accepted by
educated native speakers in all of its features, including breadth of vocabulary and idiom, colloquialisms, and pertinent cultural references
- Participates in social and academic conversations without disruptions or pauses
- Communicates effectively on abstract topics
- Understands conversational English
- Participates in reading and writing activities
- Experiences very little difficulties with abstract, cognitively demanding topics when a high degree
of literacy is required
- Understands less commonly used words
- Speaks in fluent sentences using standard grammar
The teacher can:
- Continue to scaffold content based on individual need
- Actively teach thinking and study skills
- Continue to check for understanding of vocabulary in language arts and content areas
- Continue to place students in cooperative group settings
- Continue to provide structured response stems to open ended questions
- Actively teach thinking and study skills
- Promote critical analysis and evaluation of pertinent problems and solutions
- Provide target vocabulary for each unit of study
- Have students design questions, directions, and activities for others to follow
- Encourage solo reading
- Continue to monitor students for success
The student can:
- Explain ideas in detail and provide supporting information
- Express concepts using academic language
- Evaluate information using complex sentences
- Support ideas and use more complex grammatical structures
- Synthesize information learned in complex ways
- Apply word knowledge to comprehend texts with multiple meanings and idioms
- Participate in role-plays and simulations
- Analyze charts, graphs, and other pictorial representations of information and explain what they
see
- Use graphic organizers to scaffold writing activities
- Respond in detail to various academic topics
- Predict outcomes and future events
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | TOP
References:
Clark County School District, English Language Learners Department Program (ELLPD)
Haynes, Judy, “Stages of second language acquisition”, everythingESL.net
