This paper reports on the impact of an English as a Second Language (ESL) speaking activity--"the poster carousel"--on English learners' second language (L2) fluency. Two versions of the poster carousel were developed to observe the effect of talking about (a) the same poster three times (same-task repetition) or (b) three different…

Despite extensive research on task planning in L2 writing contexts, the optimal length of pre-task planning time remains uncertain due to varying lengths used in TBLT studies. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating the effects of different pre-task planning times (nil, 5, 10, and 15 minutes) on the argumentative writing task…

At Grand Intermediate School, teachers work with a large population of English language learners (ELL). The teachers were all trained to use the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Model (Echevarria, Vogt, and Short, 2017) to help ELL students increase their English fluency and succeed academically. The instructional strategies in place,…

The aims of the current project were to: (1) describe average change in the use of academic words across the school year in writing and (2) examine potential predictors of growth in academic word use in response to morphology-focused supplemental instruction. Investigators utilized written expository responses of 824 students in 5th grade before…

For United States of America (USA) and other developed countries, science achievement gaps begin to emerge in elementary and primary school. Such gaps between USA student groups typically are connected to socio-economic status (SES) and issues such as students still learning the English language. Through an experimental design, this National…

Individuals with lower proficiency in a second language tend to produce more disfluent speech patterns in the second language. Speech disfluencies refer to interruptions in the forward flow of speech and are distinct from the colloquial use of "fluency," to characterize knowledge of a language. Prior research indicates that some speech…

While fluency in second language speaking can be a challenging construct to measure, it is important to identify the discourse features that contribute to it. This small-scale classroom research project examined the effect of formulaic language sequences on fluency as measured by computer-based speaking tasks of young English learners. Thirty-six…

Aim/Purpose: In this study, the authors examine how an online word processing tool can be used to encourage participation among students of different language backgrounds, including English Language Learners. To be exact, the paper discusses whether student participation in anonymous collaborative writing via Google Docs can lead to more…

Examining the instructional reading strategies that happen in the Bilingual classrooms is needed if we, as educators expect an increase parent or guardian involvement that will support the students' reading development. Research has shown students who have a strong literacy foundation in early elementary years are often successful in later grades…

This study provides an empirically based contribution to the growing body of research using conversation analysis as a methodical tool for analysing functions of action types through interaction in L2 classroom settings. Using data from various L2 classrooms in ESL and EFL contexts, it is argued that the role of repeats differ depending on the…

One in five school-age children in the U.S. speaks a language other than English at home (Zeigler & Camarota, 2014). Roughly half of these emerging bilingual students (Garcia, 2009) are classified as English learners (ELs) when they enter school, meaning they do not meet state or district criteria for English proficiency (NCES, 2015). As the…