The following 1996 survey results are a composite of information provided by 53 of Alaska's 54 school districts. I 150 Novice-High Able to satisfy immediate needs using learned utterances. Can ask questions or make statements with reasonable accuracy only where this involves short memorized utterances or formulae. There is no real autonomy of expression, although there may be some emerging signs of spontaneity and flexibility. There is a slight increase in utterance length but frequent long pauses and repetition of interlocutor's words still occur.
Most utterances are telegraphic and work endings are often omitted, confused or distorted.
Vocabulary is limited to areas of immediate survival needs. Can differentiate most phonemes when produced in isolation but when they are combined in words or groups of words, errors are frequent and , even with repetition, may severely inhibit communication even with persons used to dealing with such learners. Little development in stress and intonation is evident. When asked to do so, is able to formulate some questions with limited constructions and much inaccuracy. Almost every utterance contains fractured syntax and other grammatical errors.