FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

At the Intermediate Fluency stage, what is expected of a student’s language use?

1. They speak using very simple sentences

2. They have a vocabulary of about 1,000 words

3. They show complex sentence structure in speaking and writing

4. They are not yet using higher-order thinking skills

The correct answer is: They show complex sentence structure in speaking and writing

At the Intermediate Fluency stage of language acquisition, students are expected to demonstrate a more advanced command of the language compared to earlier stages. At this level, learners typically begin to use complex sentence structures in both speaking and writing. This includes the ability to combine ideas and express more nuanced thoughts, which facilitates deeper communication and enhances understanding of the language. The ability to construct complex sentences indicates a significant development in language proficiency, including mastery of grammatical rules and increased vocabulary. While students may still make errors, their communication becomes increasingly fluid and coherent, allowing them to engage in discussions on a wider range of topics. In contrast, speaking in very simple sentences would reflect a much earlier stage of language development, and a vocabulary size of about 1,000 words is characteristic of learners who are still in the early stages of language acquisition. Additionally, the reference to higher-order thinking skills suggests that students at the Intermediate Fluency stage would indeed be capable of these skills, contrary to the notion that they are not yet using them. Therefore, the expectation of complex sentence structures aligns perfectly with the language capabilities of students at this stage.