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

Which stage of language acquisition is described by the emergence of mini-sentences?

1. Babbling Stage

2. Two-word Stage

3. Early Multiword Stage

4. Later Multiword Stage

The correct answer is: Early Multiword Stage

The stage of language acquisition characterized by the emergence of mini-sentences is the early multiword stage. During this phase, children begin to combine words to form simple sentences, typically consisting of two or three words. These mini-sentences reflect a foundational understanding of syntax and allow children to express more complex ideas than they could at earlier stages. In this early multiword stage, the phrases often convey essential meanings, such as requests or descriptions, and indicate that the child is starting to grasp the relationship between words and the ideas they represent. This development marks a significant leap from the two-word stage, where children primarily use pairs of words without the fuller structure of sentences. While children in the two-word stage may say things like "want cookie," the emergence of mini-sentences in the early multiword stage might lead to more nuanced expressions such as "want the big cookie." This progression illustrates the growing complexity of a child's language abilities, as they begin to understand and utilize grammar in their speech.