The Stages of Language Development

TODAY, I would like discussing about stages of language development. Ofcourse this information should be known by teachers and students. As children learn English, they progress through stages of language development. Various programs for teaching English as a second language may have different labels for these stages. We also know that states differ in their descriptions of levels of English language development. For example, California schools use five labels to describe or identify English learners’ stages of development: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced, and Advanced. The important thing to remember is that, although labels may differ, the developmental process of second language acquisition is the same. Think of language development as a continuum that ranges from the very beginning to a very advanced level of language proficiency. Then, think of points along the continuum that have been given labels. Labeling these points helps us understand what our students’ strengths and needs are as they progress along the path of language development. Throughout this book we use three stages of English language development: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. We will describe these stages and provide teaching tools for you to use at each of these levels.

I think that’s all my explanation about stages of language development. For more information, read my next postings below:

Ø  Beginning

Ø  Intemediate

Ø  Advance