Which statement describes the Intermediate Fluency Stage?

Which statement describes the Intermediate Fluency Stage?

• A. Active vocabulary up to 4,000 words; uses everyday topics; no CALLA
• B. Focuses on translation to L1
• C. Only uses speaking, not writing
• D. Active vocabulary up to 6,000 words; complex sentences; writing with errors; CALLA strategies included

Answer: (D)

Intermediate Fluency involves students moving from basic social talk toward handling more varied topics and some academic language. At this stage, learners typically have a larger active vocabulary that supports expression across familiar and unfamiliar topics, and they can form more complex sentence structures. Writing begins to appear with more organization and detail, though it often contains errors as accuracy catches up with growing fluency. An important feature is the use of CALLA strategies—explicit cognitive and metacognitive approaches that help students plan, monitor, and reflect on their learning, especially for content-area work. This combination—a sizable active vocabulary, the ability to construct complex sentences, writing with ongoing development, and deliberate strategy use—fits the intermediate-fluency profile well.

The other descriptions don’t align as well. A description with a smaller active vocabulary and no emphasis on CALLA suggests a lower stage focused more on basic language use. A focus on translating to L1 points to a more translation-driven approach, not the strategic, content-focused development seen at this stage. Limiting language to speaking only ignores the growing ability to write and engage with academic material that characterizes intermediate fluency.