ABSTRACT
In earlier papers (Scarcella 1996, 1999), I argued that much of the second language (L2) research has been inappropriately applied to classroom instruction. Researchers who synthesized studies on adult L2 students were telling public school teachers to reduce the amount of English language instruction that they gave their students in Grades K through 12. They held that English language development occurred in natural stages over time through the learner’s exposure to English and that instruction was not necessary. As a result of such advice, I argued, a significant number of students were languishing in California public schools. I suggested that much of the L2 research underlying the advice was outdated or applied incorrectly and that California’s diverse immigrant populations had suffered as a result.
