Insufficient exposure to the modalities of English is, in this author's opinion, the principal reason underlying the poor academic performance of so many students with limited English proficiency. According to a recent report from Stanford University researchers, basic oral proficiency in English (the variety needed to function smoothly in society) generally takes from three to five years to develop, whereas academic English proficiency may require from four to seven years (Hakuta, Butler, and Witt 13). This article discusses the time needed for limited-English-proficient (LEP) students to acquire proficiency in academic English and offers suggestions for helping instructors elicit the best possible performance from their ESL students until they have had sufficient time to achieve fluency. (Contains 1 note.)