This article reviews research and literature to identify the most appropriate and effective work on promoting the acquisition of English by limited-English-speaking students via the use of computers. Fields covered in the review are linguistics, culture, psycholinguistics, and sociolinguistics. First, studies on when a child best learns a second language are surveyed. Special attention is given to questions about which affective and motivation strategies yield the best student response, the cultural content of language programs, and the relationship of reading and writing skills. Next, literature on computer-assisted-instruction (CAI) is reviewed, and the conclusion reached that, although an inadequate amount of research has been done on the cognitive effects of computer use, there is promising evidence that academic achievement can be improved. Finally, implications for the development of English as a Second Language/CAI software are considered. Multiple criteria are presented, including primary goals (such as communicative competence and functional literacy) and the need for integrating the effective, cognitive, and psychomotor aspects of learning. (KH)