In her volume, One Child, Two Languages, dual language researcher Patton Tabors describes the sequence that most young children follow as they begin learning a second language in preschool. First, young children often attempt to use their home language. Then, when they realize their home language is not working in this context, they tend to become silent. DLLs listen and observe, gaining an understanding of the classroom
language. Next, they begin to “go public,” testing out some new words
and phrases. Finally, they begin to produce the new language,
using phrases and then sentences