ABSTRACT
In this age of globalization, the need for communication in a second or foreign language has dramatically increased (Committee for Economic Development, 2006). In the United States, a large proportion of linguistically diverse students are learning to read English as a Second Language (ESL). Camarota (2007) estimated that there were 10.8 million school-aged children of immigrants in the US in 2007, accounting for 20.2% of the total school-aged population. Many ESL children have difficulty acquiring even the most basic English literacy skills and are therefore at risk for reading difficulties and school drop-out (Fleischman & Hopstock, 1993; Gottardo, 2002). Second language learning has become one of the most important components of our educational system. Understanding the important theoretical issues and empirical evidence in research on second language learning is critical for improvement of second language education in both home and school settings.
