THE GRADUAL RELEASE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND THE ALBANIAN ESL CLASSROOM

Abstract

The traditional teacher-led classroom instruction with minimal student participation can potentially be a burdensome experience for everyone in class. This might especially be so in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom where constant student interaction and involvement is the key to master a foreign language. In this theoretical paper, I present the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) model as a complementary source for the foreign language classroom. I explain the model through a suggested classroom application in an Albanian ESL class. I ask whether or not the GRR model is a viable tool for the foreign language classroom and look into answers through a brief literature review and a discussion. Studies provided in the literature review are from the US, Iran, and Jordan. The results of those studies indicate a potential benefit of the GRR model in the foreign language classroom. However, the scarcity of resources on the subject posed a hardship to come to solid conclusions as well as to offer suggestions. There is need for more research on the various applications of the model in the related field.