English Fluency Milestones for Kids by Age

Language is the medium using which one can express his feelings, needs etc. and understand the same of other individuals. Therefore, learning language is an important part of one’s life. In addition, seeing the competitive life today, being proficient in your language, in fact multiple languages, serves as an added advantage. Currently, English has emerged as the Global Language of Communication, and being well versed in English improves one’s chance of faring well in the exams, competitions and job search.

In linguistics, the scientific study of language, we use the terms L1 and L2 to differentiate between how and when a person picks up a language. This distinction becomes particularly interesting in a country like India, where many people grow up speaking multiple languages.

L1 means the first language, which is also known as the mother tongue, native Language, or home Language.it is the language a person is exposed to from birth. It is the language of your earliest thoughts, emotions, and dreams. For most people, L1 remains their strongest language in terms of "naturalness" and intuition.

L2 means the second language which is sometimes also called as target language. L2 is usually learned through and is often a "utility language." 

So, keeping this in mind, we can understand that the fluency milestones as per age of the child will be different depending upon whether English is their first or second language. Here, we will try to focus on both cases, and try to know what English fluency looks like at ages 7, 9, and 12 with clear benchmarks.  Let us focus on the fluency milestones supposed to be achieved at age 7, age 9 and 12.

English fluency milestones in kids at Age 7

As per the standard age of admissions in schools, most students of age 7 are students of grade 2. In case of Indian children, where English is the second language: most children are moving beyond rote memorization of A-B-C and they now start using English for basic school functions. They should now be able to do simple storytelling in English. Kids of age 7 are now able to express their basic needs in English such as when hungry, they should be able to say, "I am hungry," or when needed to use the washroom, they should be able to ask, "May I go to the washroom?”. Besides, they should be able to simply describe their day-to-day activities or share their memories etc. For example, they should be able to describe their school day in short, simple sentences.

Kids, at this stage sometimes may mix English with their mother tongue. This is very common at this stage and is in fact healthy.  Fluency at this age is about confidence, not perfect grammar. In terms of assessing their reading and vocabulary, the kids of age 7 should be able to read simple storybooks (like Panchatantra or Ladybird series). Their vocabulary is centered around school, family, and toys. Kids of this age are able to follow classroom instructions and participate in simple "Show and Tell" activities with 3–4 prepared lines.

The English fluency milestones for kids at age 7 are different when English is their first language. At 7, the children transition from basic communication to narrative fluidity. They now begin to use language to explain their inner world. Kids at age 7 with English as their first language are able to retell a movie plot or a personal event in chronological order with detail. They learn to use "connecting words" like because, so, and then. Kids at this stage are able to use almost adult-like grammar, though they may make some mistakes at a little bit complex sentences for them. Such as kids of this age may say, “I fished today.” (as we use the word fishing, for the activity of catching fish), instead of saying, “I caught fish today.”

The kids at age 7 are able to use descriptive adjectives (e.g., "enormous" instead of "big") and begins to understand that one word can have two meanings. These kids are now able to follow 3-step instructions easily. They can also use language to persuade others. For example, they might justify their staying up late by giving reasons like, "I should stay up late because I finished my homework”. In short, they can express what they feel like.

English fluency milestones in kids at Age 9

This age can be termed as the transition stage where for the kids English transitions from being a "subject" to being the "medium" through which they learn other subjects. This is a major leap in India’s curriculum. By this age, kids can narrate stories; share their memories and the plot of a cartoon or a cricket match with a clear beginning, middle, and end.  Kids by the age of 9 start using "connectors" like but, because, and actually. If we talk about public speaking, the kids at the age of 9 should be able to participate in school elocution or poem recitations with appropriate expression and volume. Another milestone for English fluency in kids at age 9 is that they become aware of grammar. They begin to self-correct. For example, if they say, "I am go to temple daily," they might pause and change it to "I go to temple daily." Their vocabulary strengthens and they start to understand synonyms. They start circumlocution i.e. they can explain a word if they forget the exact English term.

Now, let us move on to the English fluency milestones for kids with English as their first language. By age 9, a kid’s fluency becomes a tool for learning. At this stage, the kids use language for "reading to learn" i.e. they now use English to grasp complex subjects like science or history. The kids at this age can participate in group discussions, stay on topic, and wait for their turn to speak. They can summarize a story without telling every single detail. The kids at this age begin to understand the meaning and usage of puns, riddles, idioms etc. They start understanding verbal irony and play with words to create humour. The kids with English as their first language become fluent enough to talk through social problems or plan ahead. They begin to use "if-then" logic fluently. For example, they may plan like this: “If I read one chapter a day, I will be able to finish the syllabus in time for the exams.” Their writing starts to reflect their speech, and they can now use varied sentence lengths to pique a reader’s interest.

English fluency milestones in kids at age 12

By the age of 12, a fluent child treats English as a primary tool for social interaction and critical thinking. The kid at this stage should be able to hold a 10-minute conversation on a non-personal topic. These topics can be anything from climate change to latest trends in fashion, country’s prime minister to the effects of population explosion. There are some phrases or way of sentence formation that are found in Indian English and are sometimes called “Indianisms”.  A kid of age 12 who is fluent in English should be able to move away from such "Indianisms". For example, instead of saying "I am having a doubt" they should be able to use more standard phrasing.

A child knows to speak formal English with a teacher but may use a mix of English and their mother tongue with friends. This is called code switching and is a marker of high-level fluency. Kids this age can participate in debates and can argue a point of view using logic rather than just repeating memorized facts. They become media literate, and start to understand the nuances of English used in global movies, music, and social media. They start to understand the slang, sarcasm, and cultural references.

Now, if we consider students with English as their first language their fluency at age 12, is nearly indistinguishable from an adult's in daily conversation. Their language shows the most growth in social flexibility and abstract metaphors. Kids this age can give a structured oral presentation or debate a point of view using evidence. Now, they become fully able to understand sarcasm, metaphors, and idioms.

Another benchmark for kids fluency at this age is the ability for code switching, i.e. the ability to change how they speak based on the audience. For example, they might use slang with friends and formal English with teachers. The kids at age 12 start to understand complex grammar and use it in their conversations, or written assignments. They become able to use sophisticated connectors like meanwhile, however, and consequently to link complex ideas.

So, these were the milestones or benchmarks that we can use to assess the English fluency level of kids at age 7, 9 and 12. If you find that your kid is not reaching these age appropriate benchmarks, you can provide some support to improve their fluency, such as: 

1. During dinner or playtime, let them speak English without correcting their grammar. Instead of correcting their grammar, let them learn to express themselves and build a flow. It helps to build confidence.

2. Encourage the kids to watch age-appropriate English documentaries or to listen to podcasts/audiobooks. This adds to their audio-visual exposure to English. It helps them pick up natural "word stress" and "rhythm" that can never be learnt from reading alone.

3. Always encourage your kids to describe their thoughts out loud in English for five minutes a day. This method helps to reduce the "translation lag" which happens when one thinks in their first language and then translates it to English.

4. Read aloud to your kids because listening to a parent read a complex book helps them learn the nuances of speaking,

5. Start asking reasons, like instead of asking "What did you do today?", ask "Why do you think your friend felt that way?".

We as a parent have to keep in mind that fluency in English is a journey, not a race. We should encourage kids to make consistent efforts but should not pressurize them. In India, being multilingual is a superpower as there are many regional languages and knowing them makes it easier to live in different regions. Education, job, travels etc. require kids visiting regions where their mother tongue is not spoken. In such cases being multi-lingual serves as a survival tool. It is better to start learning languages early as mixing languages early on actually helps brain development. Another point to be noted is that English fluency is not just about "speaking fast."  Being fluent in English means having a strong vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, and being well versed in pragmatics i.e. the social use of language. Bambinos can work with you hand in hand in this journey of mastering English by your kids. We provide English classes that focus on spoken English, confidence building, phonics, personality development, grammatical accuracy etc. We provide classes in both format: one to one, and group classes with good teacher:student ratio. Please contact through website or other contact channels for further details.

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