What is Language Proficiency?. All new learners of English progress through the same stages to acquire language. However, the length of time each students spends at a particular stage may vary greatly. •Listening- process, understand, interpret, and evaluate spoken language in a variety of situations • Speaking- engage in oral communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences • Reading- process, understand, interpret, and evaluate written language, symbols and text with understanding and fluency • Writing- engage in written communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences

At the given level of English language proficiency, English language learners will process, understand, produce or use: 6- Reaching • a variety of sentence lengths of varying linguistic complexity in extended oral peers 5- Bridging • specialized or technical language of the content areas • a variety of sentence lengths of varying linguistic complexity in extended oral or written discourse, including stories, essays or reports • oral or written language approaching comparability to that of English proficient peers 4- Expanding • a variety of sentence lengths of varying linguistic complexity in oral discourse or multiple, related sentences or paragraphs • oral or written language with minimal phonological, syntactic or semantic errors that do not impede the overall meaning of the communication when presented with oral or written connected discourse with sensory, graphic or interactive support 3- Developing • expanded sentences in oral interaction or written paragraphs • oral or written language with phonological, syntactic or semantic errors that may impede the communication, but retain much of its meaning, when presented with oral or written, narrative or expository descriptions with sensory, graphic or interactive support 2- Beginning • general language related to the content areas • phrases or short sentences • oral or written language with phonological, syntactic, or semantic errors that often impede the meaning of the communication when presented with one- to multiple-step commands, directions, questions, or a series of statements with sensory, graphic or interactive support 1- Entering • pictorial or graphic representation of the language of the content areas • words, phrases or chunks of language when presented with one-step commands, directions, WH-, choice or yes/no questions, or statements with sensory, graphic or interactive support • oral language with phonological, syntactic, or semantic errors that often impede meaning when presented with basic oral commands, direct questions, or simple statements with sensory, graphic or interactive support