The 4 Stages of Competence in Language Teaching

We all want to be better teachers.

But just how do we progress from a stumbling newbie to an expert teacher isn’t always clear.

That’s where the 4 Stages of Competence Model comes in.

Originally developed to explain skill acquisition, this framework is handy for understanding our own teaching journey and our students’ progress. Let’s look at each stage, how each one impacts language teaching, and then how to use them.

1. Unconscious Incompetence – Blissful Ignorance

This is where most of us start—bl...