At what stage does an individual achieve fairly fluent speech in social situations?

The correct answer is that an individual achieves fairly fluent speech in social situations at the Advanced Fluency stage. At this stage, individuals have developed a high level of proficiency in the new language. They are able to engage in conversations with relative ease, express complex thoughts and ideas, and communicate effectively in a variety of social contexts.

Since an individual can participate in discussions and express their opinions naturally, their communication reflects not only fluency but also a deeper understanding of the language's nuances, including idiomatic expressions and cultural references. This fluency enables them to navigate social interactions more comfortably and confidently.

In contrast, the other stages present limitations in language proficiency. Beginning Fluency and Early Production typically denote earlier stages of language acquisition where an individual is just starting to build confidence and may struggle with more complex sentence structures. Intermediate Fluency represents a transitional phase where individuals can communicate basic ideas but may still encounter challenges in fluid and nuanced conversations. Thus, Advanced Fluency is the stage that best describes achieving fluent speech in social situations.