Stages of Second Language Acquisition and Tiered Questions Prompts

Stages of second language acquisition, characteristics of the student, approximate age of the specific language acquisition, and sample tiered questions prompts


Stage

Characteristics of
the student:

Approximate age of specific language acquisition

Sample tiered question prompts

Preproduction

  • Has minimal comprehension   
  • Does not verbalize
  • Nods "Yes" and "No"
  • Draws and points

0 - 6 months

  • Show me...
  • Circle the...
  • Where is...
  • Who has…

Early Production

  • Has limited comprehension
  • Produces one- or two-word responses
  • Participates using key words and familiar  phrases
  • Uses present-tense verbs

6 months - 1 year

  • Yes/no questions
  • Who, what and how many questions
  • Either/or questions

Speech Emergence

  • Has good comprehension
  • Can produce simple sentences
  • Makes grammar and pronunciation errors
  • Frequently misunderstands jokes

1 - 3 years

  • Why...
  • How...
  • Explain...
  • Questions requiring a phrase or short-sentence answers

Intermediate Fluency

  • Has excellent comprehension
  • Makes few grammatical errors

3 - 5 years

  • What would happen if...
  • Why do you think...
  • Questions requiring more than a
    one sentence response

Advanced Fluency

  • has a near-native level of speech

5 - 7 years

  • Decide if...
  • Retell...

Source: Adapted from Krashen and Terrell (1983)