NYSTCE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Practice Test

What characterizes learners in the Speech Emergence Stage?

1. They can only use gestures for communication.

2. They start to construct simple sentences.

3. They can understand complex language structures.

4. They have near-native fluency.

The correct answer is: They start to construct simple sentences.

Learners in the Speech Emergence Stage are characterized by their ability to construct simple sentences. At this stage, which typically follows the early stages of language acquisition, learners have moved beyond the pre-production phase, where they mostly communicate with gestures and are beginning to use their developing vocabulary to form basic sentences. This marks a significant step in their language development as they become more capable of expressing thoughts and ideas verbally, albeit with limited complexity. They may still make errors in grammar and vocabulary, but their ability to produce simple sentences indicates a growing proficiency and understanding of the language. While learners in this stage may be able to understand some complex language structures, this understanding is not fully developed, which differentiates them from more advanced learners, who can navigate more intricate grammatical rules. Similarly, near-native fluency is not characteristic of these learners, as they are still acquiring the language and have not yet reached a level where they can fully engage in conversations with the fluency and complexity of a native speaker. Thus, the ability to construct simple sentences effectively illustrates their progress in language acquisition at this stage.