Understanding the Features of Academic Language

Everyday Language vs. Academic Language: A

“Continuum”Cognitively undemanding

Cognitively demanding

Context embedded

Context reduced

Jim Cummins, 2000

Everyday Language vs. Academic Language: A

“Continuum”

*Discuss the

weather*Interview

a classmate

Cognitively undemanding

Cognitively demanding

Context embedded

Context reduced

Jim Cummins, 2000

Everyday Language vs. Academic Language: A

“Continuum”

*Discuss the weather*Interview a classmate

*Talk on the phone

*Read an email or

text

Cognitively undemanding

Cognitively demanding

Context embedded

Context reduced

Jim Cummins, 2000

Everyday Language vs. Academic Language: A

“Continuum”

*Discuss the weather

*Interview a classmate

*Talk on the phone

*Read an email or text

*Work in groups to create a

human or picture timeline

*Role play scenes from a

novel

Cognitively undemanding

Cognitively demanding

Context embedded

Context reduced

Jim Cummins, 2000

Everyday Language vs. Academic Language: A

“Continuum”

*Discuss the weather

*Interview a classmate

*Talk on the phone

*Read an email or text

*Work in groups to create a

timeline*Role play

scenes from a novel

*Read a text chapter and

write answers to questions

*Take “traditional”

tests

Cognitively undemanding

Cognitively demanding

Context embedded

Context reduced

Jim Cummins, 2000

Features of Academic Language

Content-specific vocabulary: The BIG words“Pellicle, microtubules, euglenas”

Signal words: Transitions, connections, contrastsHowever, therefore, on the other hand, in addition, also, moreover

Functions or academic process language:Analyze, compare and contrast, predict, investigate, hypothesize, outline etc.

Discourse Patterns:Varies by discipline: Persuasion, analogies, metaphors, interpretation, finding evidence

EdTPA and Academic Language

Definitions that you should study and internalize!

Copes for both literacy and math EdTPA

Academic Texts: Dense

"Shortly after the United States entered World War II, more than 110,000 people of Japanese Ancestry who were living in the United States were forced to move to guarded camps." Elements of Literature: Grade 6, Holt.

Academic Texts: Authoritative

•Passive Voice

•Statements rather than questions

•Use of technical and specialized vocabulary

"Euglenas do not have cell walls, but they do have an intricate cell membrane called a pellicle. The pellicle is folded into ribbon-like ridges, each ridge supported by microtubules. The pellicle is tough and flexible, letting euglenas crawl through mud when there is not enough water for them to swim. Euglenas reproduce asexually by binary fission." High School Biology, Miller & Levine. Prentice Hall

Academic Texts: Abstract

Nominalization:Reproduce - reproduction

EXAMPLE: "Some of the region's physical features and landforms experienced (passive voice) violent forms of creation. Creation (nominalization) was followed by periods of rapid growth." The Pacific Northwest: Past, Present & Future. Lambert

Textbooks: As certain as death and taxes! However, textbooks

are…Superficial- they cover so much they can't cover in depth

Dry!

Hard to read - they are reference books

Written with the purchasers in mind, more than the students who will use them!

Often inaccurate

Present as if they are the final word!

Visually excessively stimulating with important information located charts, pictures, captions, text, side bars, etc

Expensive, which leaves little for other materials, and they have long lives!

Freeman & Freeman, 2009

Social Studies and Academic Language: TPA

TPA Rubrics expectations:“How does the candidate identify and

support language demands associated with a key (literacy) learning task?”Level 3 (Target for CWU): “Candidate

identifies vocabulary and additional language demands(s) associated with the language function. Plans include general support for use of vocabulary as well as additional language demand(s).

Social Studies and Academic Language: TPA

“How does the candidate analyze students’ use of language to develop content understanding?”Level 3: “Candidate explains and provides

evidence of students’ use of language function as well as vocabulary OR additional language demand(s)”

Level 4: : “Candidate explains and provides evidence of students’ use of language function as well as vocabulary OR additional language demand(s) in ways that develop content understandings.

What do we do?

Content AND language objectives for every lesson

Activate and/or build background knowledge

Provide context embedded instruction for academic content which supports academic language understanding – contextualize as much as possible!

Provide explicit content-specific vocabulary instruction utilizing context-embedded strategies: pictures, word-squares

Provide explicit academic process instruction with scaffolding

Model appropriate use of academic language

Everyday Language vs. Academic Language: A

“Continuum”Cognitively undemanding

Cognitively demanding

Context embedded

Context reduced

Jim Cummins, 2000

Identifying and creating sound learning objectives

Learning to write appropriate and sound objectives is critical!

Writing Academic Language Objectives

Analyze the content objectives

Using any of the examples from concept formation lesson on writing objectives, with a partner, write at least one appropriate language objective

Try This!As a table group, plan together a lesson on one of

the following unit topics.

Write your ideas on the white board.

FOCUS ON:Content ObjectivesAcademic Language Objectives ( vocabulary, signal

words, process language) Context embedded strategies and supports

Unit Topcs

Grade K-1 My Family, Your Family, Our Families

Grade 2 Community Helpers and Leaders

Grade 3 Coastal and Plains Native Americans: Lifestyle, habitats, homes

Grade 4 Hazards of the Oregon Trail

Grade 5 Taxes, taxes, taxes! Taxing the tea out of our teapots!!

Resources

Freeman & Freeman (2009). Academic Language for English Language Learners and Struggling Readers. New Hampshire: Heineman.