Supporting the Development of Academic Language
Post on 08-Feb-2016
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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.
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