Factors to consider when young learners acquire an additional language

Tabors (1997 : 39) set out the early stages of bilingual learning as four stages for early language learning. Firstly, this includes a period of time when children continue to use their home languages in the second-language situation (although this is usually a brief period). Secondly, when they discover their home language does not work in this situation, children enter a non-verbal period as they collect information about the new language and perhaps spend time in sound experimentation. This period of time is when survival language is necessary, (see ‘Survival language intervention’, pp. 70–308). Thirdly, children begin to go public, using individual words and phrases in the new language. This is usually in the form of ‘repetition and language play, use of formulae, routine and single words’ ( Drury and Robertson, 2008 ). For example, this can be from memorised rhymes or models of phrases or sentences where children start to use words interchangeably. Finally, children begin to develop productive use of the second language. This is the beginning of children developing more efficient use of language and more complex English.