The necessity for English Language Learners to meet the language proficiency required for designation as a Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) student warranted a reevaluation of the current practices of speech instruction. The research highlighted the importance of direct instruction for the speaking 4-Picture Narrative assessment of the California English Language Development Test (CELDT), as well as promoted the necessity of combining strategies and student ability levels in order to help English Language Learners of the 9-12 grade span acquire the oral academic language necessary for attaining a proficient score of Early Advanced on the exam. The findings found that the use of proper nouns, verbs in past tense, and elements of storytelling contributed to an Early Advanced score
