SOCIAL RESEARCH NUMBER: 
     31/2018 
     PUBLICATION DATE: 
     07/06/2018 
 
 
 
 
    Rapid Evidence Assessment: 
 
    Effective Second Language Teaching 
 
    Approaches and Methods 
     
  Mae’r ddogfen yma hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg.  
  This document is also available in Welsh. 
       © Crown Copyright       Digital ISBN 978-1-78937-321-9 
      
     Rapid Evidence Assessment: Effective Second Language Teaching 
     Approaches and Methods 
      
     Authors: Fitzpatrick, T., Morris, S., Clark, T., Mitchell, R., Needs, J., 
     Tanguay, E. and Tovey, B. 
              
       
     Full Research Report: Fitzpatrick, T., Morris, S., Clark, T., Mitchell, R., Needs, J., Tanguay, 
     E. and Tovey, B. (2018). Rapid Evidence Assessment: Effective Second Language 
     Teaching Approaches and Methods. Cardiff: Welsh Government, GSR report number 
     31/2018. 
      
     Available at: https://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/assessment-effective-second-
     language-teaching-approaches-methods/?lang=en  
      
     Views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and not necessarily those of the 
     Welsh Government. 
      
     For further information please contact: 
     Catrin Redknap 
     Social Research and Information Division 
     Knowledge and Analytical Services 
     Welsh Government 
     Cathays Park 
     Cardiff 
     CF10 3NQ 
     Tel: 0300 025 5720 
     Email: catrin.redknap@gov.wales  
      
                          
       
      Table of contents 
       
      List of Tables.......................................................................................................................... 4 
      List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ 4 
      Glossary ................................................................................................................................. 5 
      1.  Introduction ............................................................................................................... 7 
       Aims and rationale for the Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) ......................................... 7 
       Policy background and development .................................................................................. 8 
       Project objectives ............................................................................................................... 9 
       Investigative framework – definition and interpretation of terms ......................................... 9 
       Project Team .................................................................................................................... 11 
       Approach and structure of the report ................................................................................ 11 
      2.  Methodology ............................................................................................................ 13 
       Defining the research question ......................................................................................... 13 
       Methodological approach ................................................................................................. 14 
       Phase 1 – Search ............................................................................................................. 16 
        Database searches ....................................................................................................... 16 
        Supplementary searches .............................................................................................. 18 
        Quality assurance at Phase 1 ....................................................................................... 20 
       Phase 2 – Screening, selection and categorisation .......................................................... 20 
        Phase 2a – Screening .................................................................................................. 20 
        Phase 2b – Identification of thematic domains, and preliminary categorisation ............ 21 
        Quality assurance at Phase 2 ....................................................................................... 23 
       Phase 3 – Detailed data extraction and weighing of evidence ......................................... 23 
        Quality assurance at Phase 3 ....................................................................................... 26 
       Phase 4 – Clustering items and synthesising key findings ............................................... 26 
      3.  Findings ................................................................................................................... 27 
       Vocabulary competence ................................................................................................... 29 
        The effect of CLIL instruction on vocabulary development ........................................... 29 
        Focusing attention and intentional learning activity on form and meaning of individual 
        vocabulary items ........................................................................................................... 31 
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        Input-Only, and Input plus Interaction Instruction.......................................................... 32 
        Involvement Load ......................................................................................................... 33 
        Integrating imagery, gesture and movement................................................................. 34 
        Summary of Vocabulary Competence findings ............................................................. 35 
       Grammatical competence ................................................................................................ 35 
        Explicit Instruction ......................................................................................................... 35 
        Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) ...................................................... 37 
        Oracy and Literacy ........................................................................................................ 37 
        Summary of Grammatical Competence findings ........................................................... 38 
       Reading competence ....................................................................................................... 38 
        Developing lower-level processing skills ....................................................................... 39 
        Developing higher-level processing skills ..................................................................... 41 
        Summary of Reading Competence findings.................................................................. 43 
       Writing competence .......................................................................................................... 43 
        The role of technology in writing development .............................................................. 43 
        Non-traditional approaches to writing instruction .......................................................... 45 
        Taught strategies to promote writing skills .................................................................... 47 
        Summary of Writing Competence findings .................................................................... 48 
       Speaking and listening competence ................................................................................. 48 
        Interaction and negotiating meaning ............................................................................. 49 
        Pronunciation ................................................................................................................ 51 
        Listening ....................................................................................................................... 52 
        Speaking and listening strategies ................................................................................. 53 
        Summary of Speaking and Listening Competence findings .......................................... 54 
       General language competence ........................................................................................ 54 
        CLIL and partial CLIL .................................................................................................... 55 
        Amount and distribution of instruction time ................................................................... 57 
        Isolated and integrated Form Focused Instruction ........................................................ 57 
        Technology and language learning ............................................................................... 58 
        Use of songs in the language classroom ...................................................................... 59 
        A note on approaches and methods ............................................................................. 59 
        Summary of General Language Competence findings ................................................. 60 
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