Getting to Academic English: Instructional Practices for

Secondary English Learners

Getting to Academic English: Instructional Practices for

Secondary English Learners

Nancy Frey, Ph.D.PPT at www.fisherandfrey.com Click “Resources”

Disciplinary Literacy

Why Can’t the English Teachers Teach This Stuff?

Reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing

• Literacy is utilized in all content areas• Language is specialized in each area• All learning occurs through language• Literacy = Language and Language

= Learning

DisciplinaryLiteracy

Intermediate Literacy

Basic Literacy

Increasing Specialization of Literacy

Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008

Disciplinary Literacy is

Academic Language

What makes literacy hard in the disciplines?

• The goals of reading and writing and the approaches to reading and writing are different depending on the content area.

• The texts are written differently.– Mathematics– Science– History/Social Studies

Math Reading• Goal: arrive at “truth”• Importance of “close reading” an intensive

consideration of every word in the text • Rereading a major strategy• Heavy emphasis on error detection• Precision of understanding essential • Conclusions subject to public argument

Mathematics Text1.1 Introduction to Linear Equations

A linear equation in n unknowns x1, xx…, xn is an equation of the form

a1x1 + a2x2 +…+ anxn = b,

where a1, a2,…,an, b are given real numbers

For example, with x and y instead of x1 and x2, the linear equation 2x + 3y = 6 describes the line passing through the points (3, 0) and (0, 2).

Similarly, with x, y and z instead of x1, x2 and x3 the linear equation 2x + 3y + 4z = 12 describes the plan passing through the points (6, 0, 0), (0, 4, 0), (0, 0, 3).

A system of m linear equations in n unknowns x1, x2, …, xn is a family of linear equations

Look inside the science text…

• Value on linking findings to other scientific principles

• Transformation of text information to another visual representation

• Marshaling background knowledge

The Antarctic krill is (Euphausia superba) is a species of krill found in the Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. Antarctic krill are shrimp-like invertebrates that live in large schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching densities of 10,000-30,000 individual animals per cubic meter. They feed directly on minute phytoplankton, thereby using the primary production energy that the phytoplankton originally derived from the sun in order to sustain their pelagic (open ocean) life cycle. They grow to a length of 6 cm, weigh up to 2 grams, and can live for up to six years. They are a key species in the Antarctic ecosystem and are, in terms of biomass, likely the most successful animal species on the planet.

Science Text

Chart

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4

krillphytopl.

History Reading

• History is interpretative• Importance of authors and sourcing in

interpretation• Consideration of bias and perspective

(including one’s own) are essential• Helpful to recognize history as an argument

based on partial evidence (narratives are more than facts)

Multiple Gist Text Set

•Chart of slaves owned by Jackson•Text of Jackson’s inauguration•Bank Veto Speech

Tools for Transforming Texts

• In the mind and on paper

• Language frames

• Visual displays

• Notetaking guides

Multiple Text Discussion Web in History

Should explorersrisk lives to

achieve goals?

YESText 1 Evidence

Text 2 Evidence

Text 3 Evidence

NOText 1 Evidence

Text 2 Evidence

Text 3 Evidence

Our View

Elements:Arctic Krill

Properties:invertebrate

Lays eggs

4 Stages to developmentlarvae, juveniles, gravid females, and other adults

Eat phytoplankton

Lay eggs

ProcessesEggs are laid at surface of water and drop

Hatched eggs rise to surface

Larvae are at surface

Krill reach adulthood (2-3 years)

Key Details6,000-10,000 eggs laid

Eggs hatch at about 2,000-3,000 meters

Larvae develop, nourished by yolk

Develop more legs, eyes, grow by molting, Eat algae under ice

Juveniles move inland of adults

Different stages kept separate!

AnalogiesLike a snake sheds its skin as it grows, so does the krill.

Krill eat algae the same way a lawnmower takes in grass

Illustrations:(Chart of different seasons and changes in the krill as it goes through the life cycle.)

Guided Notetaking in Science

Alphabet Vocabulary ChartA-B C-D E-F G-H

I-J K-L M-N O-P

Q-R S-T U-V-W X-Y-Z

Alphabet Vocabulary ChartA-B C-D

crater

E-F G-H

I-J K-L

lava

M-N

magma

O-P

Q-R S-T U-V-W

volcano

X-Y-Z

Alphabet Vocabulary ChartA-B

ash

C-D

crater

cinder cone

E-F

flow

G-H

I-J K-L

lava

M-N

magma

magnitude

O-P

Q-R

Rim of Fire

S-T

shield volcano

tremor

U-V-W

volcano

vent

volcanologist

X-Y-Z

Alphabet Vocabulary ChartA-B

ash

active

balsat

C-D

crater

cinder cone

caldera

E-F

flow

eruption

extrusion

G-H

geothermal

harmonic tremor

I-J

intrusion

K-L

lava

lahar

M-N

magma

magnitude

mantle

O-P

obsidian

pahoehoe

pillow lava

Q-R

Rim of Fire

S-T

shield volcano

tremor

U-V-W

volcano

vent

volcanologist

X-Y-Z

xenoliths

Establishing Purpose:

Why are we doing this anyway?

Two Components:

Content Purpose

Language Purpose

“Here’s what you’re going to learn today, and this is

what I want you to do with it.”

The established purpose focuses on student learning, rather than an

activity, task, or assignment.

The established purpose focuses on student learning, rather than an

activity, task, or assignment.

Students can explain the established purpose

in their own words.

Writing to Explain One’s

Thinking

Writing to Summarize

• Given a word and conditions about the placement of the word, write a sentence

• Forces attention to grammar and word meaning

• Use student examples for editing

Generative SentencesGenerative Sentences

“Volcanoes” in the 4th Position

“Volcanoes” in the 4th Position

Try these . . .

Word Position Length

cell 3rd > 6

Try these . . .

Word Position Length

cell 3rd > 6

Because 1st < 10

Try these . . .

Word Position Length

cell 3rd > 6

Because 1st < 10

Constitution last = 10

Expanding a Generative Sentence

Basic Writing Frame

• Although I already knew that ________, I have learned some new facts about _____. For example, I learned that _______. I also learned that ______. Another fact I learned _______. However the most interesting thing I learned was______ .

Making a claimI think that_________, because ________________. Although I agree that ______________, I still think that _________. She says ______, and I agree, because _________.

Supporting/critiquing a claimHer idea that __________ is supported by _______________, ___________, and

_______. For example, ________________ shows that ________________. They say that ___________ , but _______, _____, and ____ say differently.

Introducing and addressing a counterargumentOf course, you might disagree and say that _________________. Some might say _________, but I would say that _____________. While it is true that __________, that does not always mean that _________.

Stating a conclusion or summing up an argumentIn conclusion, I believe ____________________.In sum: _____________ is shown by _____________ and ______________. For these reasons, _______________ should be ________________.

Source: Glencoe Literature, 2009. Used with permission of Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.

Creating to Explain One’s

Thinking

The teacher’s role in developing academic language

1. Analyze what makes the language

demanding for individuals or groups.

2. Develop scaffolds and supports to

help students understand and apply

academic language.

3. Use strategies to develop their

proficiency in academic language.

Disciplinary Literacy

Getting to Academic English: Instructional Practices for

Secondary English Learners

Getting to Academic English: Instructional Practices for

Secondary English Learners

Nancy Frey, Ph.D.PPT at www.fisherandfrey.com Click “Resources”