Reflections on the Session 'Tracing the L2 gains of LESLLA learners in adult L2 literacy classes'

In this contribution, we reflect on the topics discussed during the session we organized at the LESLLA conference 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. The goal of the session was to discuss (conditions for) gains in LESLLA learners participating in L2 literacy courses, and how to accurately measure them. The session focused (i) on the instruments needed to measure gains in different languages, and (ii) on the outcomes of the measurements, and the variables that might help to explain any gains measured, or not measured. A common thread throughout the session was the conceptual and empirical gap between mainstream SLA research and LESLLA-focused research, and how to bridge them.