Supporting the Supporting the Development of Development of

Academic LanguageAcademic LanguageJill RobbinsJill Robbins

Second Language Learning Second Language Learning Consultants, Washington, DCConsultants, Washington, DC

What’s difficult in Math?

• Verbal Explanations: referent is abstract, must produce explanations

• Vocabulary: unique words and specialized meanings of common words: round, table, little context

• Structures: specialized syntax• Non-Linguistic Factors: measurement system, numerical conventions

Math’s Syntactic Structures

• Comparatives (greater/less than; n times as much as; as…as)

• Prepositions (divided into; divided by; multiplied by)

• Passive Voice (x is defined as…)• Reversals (a = b - 5 or b - a = 5)

• Logical Connectors (if…then…)

Problem-Solving Steps

1. Understand the problem2. Find the needed information3. Choose a plan4. Solve the problem5. Check the answer

What’s difficult in Science?

• Vocabulary: Latin/Greek• Discourse: facts presented;

• Inferences expected

• Structures: increasingly complex• Academic Language Skills• Concepts:

• conflict with naïve understandings

• Study Skills: • locate info, take notes• Read diagrams, charts

What’s difficult in Social Studies?

• Concepts & Prior Knowledge• Vocabulary: words represent complex ideas: democracy

• Language Functions:analyze, compare, contrast, evaluate

• Structures: long sentences with embedded clauses; cause/effect phrases; variety of tenses used

What is Academic Language?

• Language used during teaching and learning.

• Language of literature.• Language in content textbooks.

• Language used to communicate new concepts.

• Language of literacy.

Teaching Academic Language

1. Identify student needs2. Provide comprehensible texts3. Expect authentic and

appropriate student products

Sociolinguistic Perspective on Academic Language

• Solomon & Rhodes (1995) Identified disparity between researchers’ and educators’ concepts of academic language

• Cultural component to academic discourse: differing Initiation-Reply-Evaluation (IRE) patterns (Phiilips 1983)

1. Academic Language Needs of English

Learners

• Develop academic vocabulary.• Understand and use correct grammatical structures and appropriate discourse.

• Read to acquire new information.• Understand information presented orally.

• Participate in classroom discussions.• Write to communicate knowledge and ideas.

2. Academic Language Texts• Informational texts: articles, essays, textbooks, websites, electronic databases.

• Oral texts: teacher, speakers, students, video, TV, film.

3. Academic Language Products

• Science lab reports and presentations

• Math problem explanations.• Social Studies research reports.

• Constructed answers to demonstrate comprehension.

Analyzing Textbook Language

What difficulties will ELLs have with this type of content material?

THE TEACHER’S ROLE• Model academic language.• Practice literacy across the curriculum.

• Teach language awareness.• Develop students’ metacognition.• Teach learning strategies.

Language Awareness and Use• Focus on language forms.• Identify language registers.• Practice language functions.• Differentiate between discourse styles.

• Use language for critical thinking.• Gain insight into own L1 and L2.