Summary of the Basic Principles of

Second Language Acquisition

Stages of Second Language Acquisition

Stages of Second LAS Links LAS Oral CSDE ELL National

Language (first used in CT (last used in Framework TESOL
Acquisition in 2005-2006) CT in 2004- (as of 2004- (as of March
2005) 2005) 2006)
Pre-production Level 1 Oral level 1 – Beginning Level 1 –
Beginning ELL NES Starting
(Non-English
Speaker)

Early Production Level 2 Oral level 2 – Level 2 –

Early Intermediate LES Emerging
ELL (Limited English
Speech Emergence Speaker)

Level 3 Oral Level 3 – Intermediate Level 3 –

Intermediate Intermediate ELL LES Developing
Fluency (Limited English
Speaker)

Level 4 Oral Level 4 – Level 4 –

Proficient ELL FES Expanding
(Fluent English
Fluency Speaker)
Advanced

State Education Resource Center (SERC) 2009

Level 5 Oral Level 5 – Level 5 –
Above Proficient FES Bridging
ELL (Fluent English
Speaker)

(SERC 2009)

Acquisition vs. Learning (Krashen)

Acquisition Learning
ƒ Natural, ƒ Conscious process
developmental, ƒ Formal situations
subconscious ƒ Focus is on the
process forms and structure
ƒ Informal situations of the language
ƒ Focus is on
communication
Comprehensible Input (Krashen)
ƒ Messages and information in the second language that the student understands.
ƒ Language is acquired when the student receives comprehensible input.
ƒ Krashen recommends that the comprehensible input be a little ahead of the
student’s level of proficiency.
ƒ Ways to make language comprehensible include:
o visual aids
o manipulatives
o realia
o gestures
o slow, clear speech
o simple sentences
o repetition, restating

Affective Filter (Krashen)

The mental block to learning that occurs when a student is in an uncomfortable, stressful
situation. In order for language to be acquired, the affective filter must be low.

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) (Cummins)

The skills needed to understand and use the everyday language used to communicate in
informal, social settings. It takes 2 - 3 years for a non-native speaker to acquire BICS.

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) (Cummins)

The skills needed to understand and use the language of the classroom, of academic texts,
and of literature. It takes 5 -7 years for a non-native speaker to acquire CALP.

Common Underlying Proficiency (CUP) (Cummins)

This theory states that knowledge/proficiency acquired in one language transfers to the
second language. Knowing how to read and write in one language helps you to read and
write in a second language. Knowing science concepts in one language means you do not

State Education Resource Center (SERC) 2009

need to relearn the concepts, you just need to know the vocabulary in the new language
which applies to the concepts.

L1 L2 BICS

CALP

CUP
 Four Quadrants (Cummins)
The Four Quadrants illustrates how activities can be cognitively demanding or
undemanding and context embedded or reduced. These quadrants can help teachers
evaluate the tasks they assign their students in order to ensure they are providing
appropriate instruction.

Cognitively Undemanding (BICS)

(Easy)

ƒ Following directions ƒ Telephone conversations

ƒ Face-to-face conversations
ƒ Buying lunch at school
ƒ Content classes (art, music)
ƒ Reading a map
ƒ Survival vocabulary
ƒ Watching a movie
ƒ Note on the refrigerator
ƒ Written directions, instructions
(no diagrams or illustrations)
ƒ Oral presentation
ƒ Reading and writing for
personal purposes

Context Reduced
Context Embedded

A C

(Few clues)
(Clues)

B D
ƒ Demonstrations, experiments ƒ Standardized tests
ƒ Lessons supported by visuals ƒ Math word problems
ƒ Basic math computations ƒ Textbooks
ƒ Plane geometry ƒ Lecture with few visuals

State Education Resource Center (SERC) 2009

ƒ Projects and activities ƒ Reading/writing in content
ƒ Making models, charts, and areas
graphs ƒ Explanations of new abstract
concepts

Cognitively Demanding (CALP)

(Difficult)