When a student says, "The king is not too very nice," which stage of second language acquisition are they most likely in?

The statement "The king is not too very nice" reflects a developing understanding of English grammar and semantics. At this stage, the student is likely experimenting with sentence structure and vocabulary, showcasing their ability to form more complex sentences than those seen in the earliest phase of language acquisition.

In the emergence stage, learners commonly produce sentences that may include errors in grammar or word choice, indicating they are still grappling with language rules and nuances. The phrase "not too very nice" suggests an attempt to convey a comparative idea, though it lacks idiomatic precision. This experimentation is characteristic of learners who are beginning to string together thoughts more coherently but are not yet proficient or fully fluent.

In the earlier stages, like preproduction, students primarily focus on listening and may not yet attempt to speak, or if they do, their phrases would be very limited and simplistic. In the intermediate stage, students usually begin forming more grammatically accurate sentences but may not necessarily use language in the nuanced way described in the statement. The advanced stage would typically see the learner using language more precisely and accurately, avoiding such phrasing as "not too very nice."

Overall, the student’s use of an unconventional phrase while attempting to communicate a more complex idea aligns well with the characteristics of