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

Which aspect of literacy development helps learners use context to predict the meaning of words?

1. Fluency Stage

2. Transitional Stage

3. Emergent Stage

4. Advanced Stage

The correct answer is: Transitional Stage

The transitional stage of literacy development is characterized by a growing ability to use contextual clues to infer the meanings of unfamiliar words. At this point, learners have typically progressed beyond the emergent stage, where they begin recognizing letters and sounds, but they are not yet at the advanced stage, where vocabulary comprehension and textual analysis become more sophisticated. In the transitional stage, students expand their vocabulary and develop literacy skills that include using context—such as surrounding words and their meanings, sentence structures, and overall themes of the text—to predict and understand new words. This skill is essential because it enables learners to engage with more complex texts and enhances their reading comprehension. Contextual prediction is essential for developing independent reading skills, allowing transitional learners to tackle unfamiliar texts with greater confidence. This ability lays a foundation for further literacy advancement in subsequent stages.