Stages of language learning

Introduction

In this article I would like to discuss some of the typical stages that ESL students go through when they start to learn English in school. It is important to note that not all learners go through all the stages discussed below. And not all learners stay in the stages for the same length of time.

Silent stage

The first stage for many children starting to learn English in the classroom is called the silent stage. In this time they are listening carefully to the language they hear but are not yet ready to start speaking.

Depending on the personality and nationality of the child, this stage may last 1 day or 6 months or more. It is important not to be concerned if this stage seems to be taking a long time. The child can learn a great deal without saying a word.

In fact, the power of listening is so strong (provided that the language you hear is at the right level of difficulty for you) that one influential researcher* into second language learning says that this is all you need to learn a new language.

I had evidence of the truth of this theory a few years ago when I taught an Italian boy in grade 6. He refused to say a word of English for more than half the school year, then he suddenly he lost his inhibitions and started to talk. Before the end of the same year, he was almost fluent in English and made few serious grammatical errors.

- Implications of the silent stage

Obviously, ESL parents want to do everything they can to help their children learn English. But it is probably not a good idea, early on, to put too much pressure on them to speak English at home, unless they themselves are happy to do so. Far better is to support them in their own language.

Here you can read more about how to help your child learn faster.

Control of the grammar system

The next stage of language learning comes as students try to acquire control of the English grammar system. @@@ Researchers have found that there seems to be a fixed order in which certain aspects of the grammar system are learned, and this cannot be influenced very much by direct teaching. ~~~

I see evidence of this every year with my beginners classes. Early on they learn that you cannot say he go, she like, etc., it has to be he goes, she likes. This rule is not very difficult to remember, and if students are tested on it directly in a grammar quiz, they usually get all the answers right.

However as soon as they are writing or speaking naturally, without thinking about grammar rules, they forget to use the -s ending. They are just not ready to produce it automatically.

- Implications of the grammar control stage

It is good if parents are patient with their child's progress in grammar. The child may be making what seem to be simple grammatical errors. But it could be that she is not yet ready to learn that particular aspect of grammar.

For the same reason, it is not a good idea try and give your child grammar lessons. Indeed, I recommend encouraging your child to do lots of reading. The ESL teacher will probably have many books at a suitable level of difficulty. So contact the ESL teacher if you child does not bring any books home.

Backsliding

Another typical phase in second language learning is the backslide. By this I mean that students have periods when they get wrong what they seem to have already learned. And they do this in exactly the same way as a child learning English as her first language.

Taking English verbs as an example, it very often happens that children seem to have learned some irregular past tense forms. They hear their parents saying sentences like I went to the shops, or I saw a big cow, and they use these correct forms themselves.

A little later, however, they start to say sentences like He goed to the shops or I seed a big cow. What has happened is that they have started to unconsciously work out the rules of English grammar. They realize that the past tense in English is formed by adding -ed to the verb, but they overgeneralize this rule out to include all verbs.

It takes a little more time before they further refine the rule to include both regular and irregular endings. So this apparent backward step is in fact a sign of progress in learning the language.

- Implications of the backsliding stage

It is helpful if parents are aware of these two typical aspects of learning English as a second language. Many parents strongly encourage their children to learn English at home and supervise their efforts.

It can be frustrating both for them and their children if they become despondent at the child's apparent lack of progress or backsliding. Mistakes are an inevitable and important aspect of learning a new language.

A brief discussion of these points with the child can take a lot of unnecessary pressure off him or her.

Understanding informal and academic English

Another aspect of learning English is understanding the distinction between the kind of language needed in everyday conversation and the language needed to do well in school work.

Most students, particularly those with language backgrounds similar to English, learn the skills of listening and speaking very quickly on joining the school. It is not uncommon for some to be completely fluent in English by the end of their second year.

At this point both they and their parents might feel that they have now learned English. After all, if they can understand everything they hear and say what they want to say, what more can they have to learn?

The answer is: They have a great deal more to learn to catch up with the native speakers in their classes. In the areas of vocabulary and understanding of academic language they are still a long way behind.

It is one thing to talk with your friends and make arrangements for your weekend. It is quite another thing to read a text about the French Revolution and write an analysis of the causes.

- Implications of the informal/academic language stage

@ It is essential that parents and their children realize that the ability to speak English fluently does not mean that the child has 'finished' learning English. ~ This will explain why students who seem to be very good in English in fact can struggle very badly in their school work.

It doesn't mean they are unintelligent or lazy. It means they simply have not had enough time to learn the academic language they need to help them do well in their school subjects.

In fact, some researchers** say it takes seven years or more for a non-native speaker of English to reach the same level as the native speakers in her class.

Variable progress

Finally, it is worth remembering that language learning does not follow a straight line getting higher and higher. @@ For most learners there will be times when lots of progress seems to be made in a short period. At other times, however, progress is slow or even seems to stop, and everything seems a struggle. ~~

- Implications of the variable progress stage

Just being aware of the fact that progress is rarely constant will help take the pressure off children. Encouraging them through the difficult times will usually be more productive than showing disappointment or anger.

Conclusion

It is worth repeating the points made above that not all learners go through all the stages discussed here or stay equally long in them. But if you are worried that your child is not making the progress you expect, it is a good idea to talk about this with the ESL teacher.

References

* S. Krashen 1982 Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition, Oxford Pergammon

** Collier, V. (1987) How long? A synthesis of research on academic achievement in a second language. TESOL Quarterly, 23