NEW ENGLISH
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
LEVELS
Correlation of
former to new
levels
NEW LEVEL 1 - STARTING
Former
(up to SY 11-12)
Beginning
to
Mid
Level 1
Students
initially have
little to no
understanding
of English.
Stages of Language Proficiency
NEW
Level 1
Starting
Students
initially have
little to no
understanding
of English.
Pre-Production
• Does not yet produce speech (silent period)
• Listens and begins to respond by using nonverbal
signals
• Internalizes significant pieces of information
• Internalizes significant pieces of information
Early Production
•
•
•
•
Responds with one or two words
Attends to hands-on demonstrations with greater
comprehension
Initiates conversations by pointing and using single
words
Responds nonverbally to a wider range of language
input
DESCRIPTORS OF LANGUAGE
PROFICIENCY FOR THE NEW LEVEL 1
Students initially have little to no understanding of English and rarely use English for
communication. They respond nonverbally to simple commands, statements, and
questions. As their oral comprehension increases, they begin to imitate the
verbalizations of others by using single words or simple phrases, and they begin to use
English spontaneously.
At the earliest stage, these learners construct meaning from text primarily through
non-print features (e.g., illustrations, graphs, maps, and tables. They gradually
construct more meaning from the words themselves, but the construction is often
incomplete.
They are able to generate simple texts that reflect their knowledge level of syntax.
These texts may include a significant amount of nonconventional features, such as
invented spelling, grammatical inaccuracies, pictorial representations, and surface
features and rhetorical patterns of the native language (such as replication of way of
structuring text from the native culture and language.)
NEW LEVEL 2 - EMERGING
Former
(up to SY 11-12)
High Level 1
To
Low to Mid
Level 2
Students
understand
more
complex
speech.
NEW
Stages of Language Proficiency
Level 2
Emerging
Speech Emergence
•Begins speaking in phrases and short sentences
•Uses speech that sounds telegraphic: “I go home
Students
now.”
can understand • Makes many errors of grammar and syntax as they
and use phrases experiment with language
and short
sentences.
DESCRIPTORS OF LANGUAGE
PROFICIENCY FOR THE NEW LEVEL 2
Students can understand phrases and short sentences. They can communicate
limited information in simple, everyday and routine situations by using memorized
phrases, groups of words, and formulae.
They can use selected simple structures correctly but still systematically produce
basic errors. Students begin to use general academic vocabulary and familiar
everyday expressions.
Reading and writing proficiency may vary depending on students’ literacy
development in their native language and their familiarity with the alphabet, among
other factors.
Students can read words and phrases, and locate specific, predictable information in
simple everyday or environmental print. They often make errors in writing that hinder
communication.
NEW LEVEL 3 - DEVELOPING
Former
(up to SY 11-12)
High Level 2
To
Low to Mid
Level 3
Students
use English
more
spontaneously
but still have
difficulty
expressing all
their thoughts.
NEW
Stages of Language Proficiency
Level 3
Developing
Students
understand
and use more
complex
language, but
still require
repetition.
Intermediate Fluency
• Responds with a flow of related phrases and
sentences
• Engages in discourse
• Communicates thoughts more effectively
• Engages in everyday conversation without relying on
concrete contextual support
• Begins to develop more academic language
DESCRIPTORS OF LANGUAGE
PROFICIENCY FOR THE NEW LEVEL 3
Students understand more complex speech but still require repetition. They acquire a
vocabulary of stock words and phrases covering many daily situations. They use
English spontaneously but may have difficulty expressing all their thoughts due to a
restricted vocabulary and a limited command of language structure.
Students at this level speak in short, simple sentences, which are comprehensible
and appropriate, but which are frequently marked by grammatical errors. Although
they may understand and use some specialized academic vocabulary, they still have
some trouble comprehending and producing complex structures and academic
language.
Proficiency in reading may vary considerably depending upon the learners’ familiarity
and prior experiences with themes, concepts, or genres. . They are most successful
constructing meaning from texts for which they have background knowledge upon
which to build. In writing, they are able to generate more complex texts, a wider
variety of texts, and more coherent texts that are learners at the Starting and
Emerging levels. Texts will have considerable numbers of nonconventional features.
NEW LEVEL 4 - EXPANDING
Former
(up to SY 11-12)
High Level 3
To
Low to Mid
Level 4
Students’
language skills
are adequate
for most
day-to-day
communication
needs.
NEW
Stages of Language Proficiency
Level 4
Advanced Fluency
Expanding
•Responds with a flow of related phrases and sentences
•Participates in reading and writing activities to acquire
new information
•Demonstrates increased levels of accuracy and
Students’
correctness and is able to express thoughts and feelings
language skills •Produces language with varied grammatical structures
are adequate and vocabulary
for most social
•May experience difficulties in abstract, cognitively
and some
demanding subjects
academic
needs.
DESCRIPTORS OF LANGUAGE
PROFICIENCY FOR THE NEW LEVEL 4
Students’ language skills are adequate for most day-to-day communication needs.
Occasional structural and lexical errors occur. Students may have difficulty
understanding and using some idioms, figures of speech, and words with multiple
meanings. They communicate in English in new or unfamiliar settings but have
occasional difficulty with complex structures and abstract academic concepts.
Students at this level may read with considerable fluency and are able to locate and
identify the specific facts within the text. However, they may not understand texts in
which the concepts are presented in a decontextualized manner, the sentence
structure is complex, or the vocabulary is abstract or has multiple meanings.
They can read independently but may have occasional comprehension problems,
especially when processing grade-level information. Although students can produce
texts independently for personal and academic purposes, they encounter more
difficulty with grade-level literacy than with oral language. Structures, vocabulary, and
overall organization begin to approximate the writing of native speakers of English.
Errors, however, may persist in one or more language domains, but they generally do
not interfere with communication.
NEW LEVEL 5 - BRIDGING
Former
(up to SY 11-12)
High
Level 4
NEW
Stages of Language Proficiency
Level 5
Bridging
Near Native Fluency
•Approaching full English proficiency
Students can •Needs sustained, pinpointed instruction to polish and
Students’
express
perfect English proficiency across all domains
language
themselves
•Exhibits linguistic behaviors that are nearly within the
skills closely
fluently and range of grade-level performance of English language
approximate
spontaneously proficient students
grade level
but are not
•Occasional structural and lexical errors may occur.
peers for
necessarily
•May encounter difficulties with academic language at
most social
English
higher grades due to rigorous curriculum
and academic
proficient.
needs.
DESCRIPTORS OF LANGUAGE
PROFICIENCY FOR THE NEW LEVEL 5
Students at this level are not necessarily fully English proficient, especially
across all language domains and all standards.
Students can express themselves fluently and spontaneously on a wide
range of personal, general, academic, or social topics in a variety of contexts.
They are poised to function in an environment with native speaking peers
with minimal language support or guidance.
At this level, students are able to work with grade-level materials with some
modification. They have a good command of technical and academic
vocabulary as well of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms. They can
produce clear, smoothly flowing, well-structured texts of differing lengths and
degrees of linguistic complexity. Errors are minimal, may be difficult to spot,
and are generally corrected when they occur.
NEW LEVEL 6
EXITED THE ESL PROGRAM
Former
(up to SY 11-12)
Level 5
Student exited the
ESL Program
OR
Student
Has a language
other than English
but is on par with
grade-level peers
NEW
Stages of Language Proficiency
Level 6
The student
received ESL
services and
support, but is
now on par with
grade-level peers
and no longer
requires support
from the ESL
Program.
A student who has been exited from the
program may be re-enrolled if additional ESL
support is indicated at a later date.
It is advisable to monitor Level 6 ELLs as they
progress through grade levels.
LEVEL 7
PARENT DECLINED ESL SERVICES
Former
NEW
Stages of Language Proficiency
Level 7
Level 7
Parent
Declined ESL
Services
Parent
Declined ESL
Services
A student at level 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, but
whose parents have declined
assessment and/or services of the
ESL program.
(up to SY 11-12)
NOTE: If the parent has not declined
assessment, the level 7 ELL will be
re- assessed during annual monitoring of
student progress each spring.
NEW LEVEL 8
NO ESL SERVICES REQUIRED
Former
(up to SY 11-12)
Level 5
Student exited the
ESL Program
OR
Student
has a language
other than English
but is on par with
grade-level peers
NEW
Stages of Language Proficiency
Level 8
The student has a
language other
than English in
his/her
background, but
is on par with
grade-level peers
and does not
require support
from the ESL
Program.
A Level 8 student who later indicates
a need for ESL services may be
assessed and enrolled in the program
if needed.
DIFFERENTIATING FOR ELLS
 The differentiation process for ELLs requires
knowing the basics of both intercultural
communication and the language acquisition
process, including the characteristics of each
stage of language development.
 The ability to recognize and meaningfully address
the range of students capabilities at each level of
developing English language proficiency is the
key to English language learner (ELL)
differentiation.