The Relationship between Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Student Achievement on Language Tests

The number of English Language Learners (ELLs) is rapidly growing. Teachers continue facing challenges in providing effective content instruction to ELLs while helping them learn English. New and improved approaches are necessary to meet the individual learning needs of this diverse group of students and help them progress academically while learning the new language. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the language proficiency growth of ELLs and the innovative computer-based strategy that drew on research findings in second language acquisition and computer-assisted language learning. This was a non-experimental correlation-relationship research study. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the dependent and independent variables and measure the strength of the relationships among language proficiency gains of 86 middle school ELL students and the amount of time, the number of practices, and the number of lessons completed by those students while using the strategy. The results of the study indicated a positive correlation and rejected the null hypotheses which stated that there was no relationship between the use of the new strategy and the language proficiency gains. Implications for further research were discussed.