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January 2006Welcoming Hispanic Children and Families to Preschool ProgramsCristina Sanchez-Lopez, Education Consultant
Stages of Second-Language Acquisition
Level of English Production Student Characteristics and Needs How Student Learns Most Effective Language for Learning Literacy and Concepts
Pre- Production  Silent Period: 

arrow No speaking

arrowResponds to instructions and commands

arrow Need for environments where they can understand teachers and peers

arrowLearns by listening and watching

arrowPoints, gestures, draws, or re-creates something to show understanding

First Language
Early Production

arrow Speaks using one or two words

arrowGives "yes" or "no" answers

arrowMay mix languages (this is part of normal development)

arrowNeed for environments where they can understand teachers and peers

arrow Learns by listening, watching, and speaking using one or two words

arrowPoints, gestures, draws, or re-creates or responds to questions with one- or two-word answers to show understanding

First Language
Speech Emergence 

arrowSpeaks using more than one or two words to express a thought and can retell a story or event

arrowResponds to open-ended questions

arrowReady for formal reading and writing instruction in English

arrowNeed for environments where they can understand teachers and peers

arrowBegins to ask questions Utilizes basic literacy skills

arrowParticipates in discussions and responds to questions using emerging syntactic structures (grammar)

Sheltered English & First Language
Intermediate Fluency 

arrowReady for more advanced reading and writing in English

arrowNeeds considerable help with vocabulary development in math, science, and social studies

arrowNeed for environments where they can understand teachers and peers

arrowUses more advanced literacy skills

arrow Builds on content learned through discussions using more advanced syntactic structures

Sheltered English
Fluency

arrowLanguage and learning skills are comparable to those of a native English speaker in academic settings

English

*Adapted from Krashen, S. D., & Terrell, T. D. (1983). The natural approach: Language acquisition ini the classroom. New York: Pergamon Press.

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