Academic Language:

From Paper to Practice

Gisela Ernst-Slavit, PhDWashington State University Vancouver

gernst@wsu.edu

AGENDA

• Review: Academic Language

• Example: Using WA ELP standards as a tool for academic language instruction for ELLs

• Suggestions for Practice: Specific strategies for incorporating academic language for student learning

• Questions:

Academic Language

• A register

• Specific linguistic features associated with academic disciplines

• Found in textbooks, tasks, talk, and

tests

• Students must produce it!!!

Dimensions of Academic Language

Discourse Level

Sentence Level

Word/Expression Level

•Text types

•Genres

•Cohesion of text

•Coherence of ideas

•Types of sentences—simple, compound, complex

•Word order

•Prepositional phrases

•Phrasal verbs

•Colloquial expressions

•General, specialized, and technical content words

•Nominalizations (use of verbs, adjectives, or adverbs as nouns, such as produce and production)

Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014 4

Dimensions of Academic LanguageGottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014

Discourse Level

Sentence Level

Word/Expression Level

• Autobiographies

• Story problems

• Lab reports

• Historical argument

• Sequence words

• Logical connectors

• Complex noun phrases

• Historical present

• Setting

• Right angle

• Hypothesis

• Democracy

Language arts, Math, Science, Social studies 5

Dimensions of Academic Language

Discourse Level

Sentence Level

Word/Expression Level

6

‘Mastery of academic language is arguably the single most important determinant of academic success for individual students. ..it is not possible to overstate the role that language plays in determining students’success with academic content..’

--Francis, Rivera, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Rivera, 2006. p. 7

Since 2010, academic has become…

• more explicit in the standards

• shared between English language proficiency and content standards

• inclusive of every school discipline

• taught within a sociocultural context

• the responsibility of all teachers.

Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014

Language awareness

Texts

Tests

Tasks

Talk

• Discourse

• Sentence level (grammatical structures)

• Word level (vocabulary)

9

Questions

We need to bring language instruction to the forefront in every subject matter and for all students.

ASSESSMENT ACROSS LESSONS

INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT WITHIN LESSONS

STANDARDS

COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS STANDARDS,

CONTENT TARGETS

DIFFERENTIATED

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

LANGUAGE TARGETS

DIFFERENTIATED

LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES A

CA

DE

MIC

L

AN

GU

AG

E

Adapted from Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014

A C

UR

RIC

ULA

R FR

AM

EWO

RK

Students

Content target:All students will solve and explain mathematical problems involving fractions.

Language Target:All students will describe and compare the use of fractions in a variety of situations.

Differentiated Language Objectives

• Grade 8

• 14 students receiving ELL services

(mostly level 3)

• Most students of Mexican descent

• Mr. Soto is bilingual

Minaya-Rowe (2014). In: Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit (Eds. Academic Language in Diverse Classrooms, ELA, Grades 6-8)

15

Unit on Gothic Literature

Process

Teacher…

…analyzes language demands of text

…pairs CCSS standards with ELP standards

16

Analyzes language demands of text

17

Poe’s original version (1846):

THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best

could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge.

You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not

suppose, however, that gave utterance to a threat. At length I

would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled—but

the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded

the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with

impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes

its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails

to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.

Process

Teacher…

…analyzes language demands of texts

…pairs CCSS standards with ELP standards

18

CCSS ELA

What is the new language that my students need to know in order to access the material and to demonstrate understanding of the topic, vocabulary, grammar, and discourse?

Minaya-Rowe (2014)

Content and Language Targets for the Unit

• Content Target: Students will identify and analyze the characteristics of Poe’s horror short story “The Cask of Amontillado.”

• Language Target: Students will explain orally and in writing the characteristics of gothic literature in Poe’s horror short story.

Differentiated Language Objectives

Encourages Interaction and Cooperation

• Small groups

• Jigsaws

• Clock interaction partners

• Academic instructional conversations

• Spanish and English

25

Builds on cultural and linguistic strengths of students

• Cognates

• Suffix patterns in English and Spanish

26

Builds on cultural and linguistic strengths of students

Experiences with horror movies Legends and other stories

27

Questions

“Every teacher will now need to be a teacher of the language and literacies for all their students, including ELLs.

….this will require a different level of teacher expertise than currently exists.”

Walqui & Heritage, 2012

Suggestions for Practice

30

1. Be aware of theacademic language

demands in…

Texts

Tests

Tasks

Talk• word

• sentence

• discourse

• functions

31

32

2. Help students understand the differences between everyday and academic language at the discourse level

Not the Queen’s English

http

://ww

w.n

ews-

jou

rnalo

nlin

e.com

/article/20

13

08

17

/NEW

S/13

08

19

46

1?p

=5

&tc=

pg

20

13

33

“hello mrs its Cody from 3rd period and turnit in .com wont accept my essay because its not from microsoft word witch i do not have on the computer i am using at my freinds house i printed out a copy of the website page and attached it to my essay so that you know that i am not lying i dont know what else to do sorry heres a copy of my essay so that u can see i did it”

Differences Between Everyday and Academic Language

(Scarcella & Rumberger, 2000)

34

Analyzing academic language at the discourse level

Academic Language

Many small fish live on the coral reef. A coral reef is made up of plants, fish, and many other creatures. Coral reefs are diverse ecosystems.

Dazzling living jewels fill the warm, shallow seas of the tropics. In the clear sunlit waters, large colonies of animals called corals have built underwater walls and platforms known as reefs.

Simple, Informal Complex, Formal

(Collard, 1998)

3. Teach Sentence-level Structures

Sentence-level structures across content areas(Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014)

• Sequence words,

• Historical present,

• Multiple forms of past tense

• Passive voice,

• Grammatical metaphor,

• Syntactic ambiguity

• Complex noun phrases

• Formulas,

• Logical connectors,

• Comparative structures,

• Story problems

• Sensory imagery,

• Alliteration,

• Simile,

• Hyperbole

ELA Math

Social Studies

Science

Examples of sentence-level structures(Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014, p.38-40)

Teaching sentence-level structures

Teaching Sentence-level structures

GRADE 4 - SCIENCEExample – “Is this accurate, meaningful?”

“Is this accurate, meaningful?”

35T: OK, turn to your partner and come up with a sentence 36 that uses the word “geologist”37S: A geologist is someone who studies the earth with a 38 magnifying glass.39T: Is that a complete sentence?40Ss: Yes41T: Is it accurate?42 …

43 Is it meaningful?44Ss:Yes45S: No46T: Someone said no. Why?47S: Because you look parts of the whole earth

.

43Gisela Ernst-Slavit

Use sentence starters

• Give reasons for students to speak to each other in class.

• Structure academic conversations around texts and topics of interest that enhance language learning.

44

Foster word consciousness

Dimensions of Academic Language

Discourse Level

Sentence Level

Word/Expression Level

•Text types

•Genres

•Cohesion of text

•Coherence of ideas

•Types of sentences—simple, compound, complex

•Word order

•Prepositional phrases

•Phrasal verbs

•Colloquial expressions

•General, specialized, and technical content words

•Nominalizations (use of verbs, adjectives, or adverbs as nouns, such as produce and production)

Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014 46

Word-learning strategy

47

GRADE 4 - SCIENCEExample – What’s a geologist?

49

12 T: What did we decide about yesterday’s word?

13 What is a geologist?

14 s: A scientist who study rocks.

15 T: Does anyone disagree with that?

16 s: A scientist who studies the earth.

17 T: A scientist who studies the earth.

“What’s a geologist?”

Gisela Ernst-Slavit

50

12 T: What did we decide about yesterday’s word? 13 What is a geologist?14 s: A scientist who study rocks.15 T: Does anyone disagree with that?16 s: A scientist who studies the earth.17 T: A scientist who studies the earth.18 So we have this prefix here (points to the board). This is all Latin. 19 Literally it means a person who studies the 20 earth.

21T: There are different types of geologists—paleontologists, 22 volcanologists, seismologists…

“What’s a geologist?”

Geologist

prefix geo = earth

this part ology = science

suffix ist = a person

Gisela Ernst-Slavit

Word-learning strategies—Acting out words and concepts

51

Classroom Clips - 6th Grade Math - Kristin Herahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIy-JkOqpB0

Word-learning strategies—Acting out words and concepts

52

JumpWalkStretchTouch headStand HopBreatheRaise right hand

Use cognates!

Cognate False Cognate

A word that looks similar in two languages BUT has a different meaning.

Example :

exit

éxito

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A word that looks similar in two languages AND has the same meaning.

Example:

information

información

54

Write content and language objectives

Language & Content Objectives(Egbert & Ernst-Slavit, 2010: Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014)

• Content Objectives: Focus of the lesson (What student should know and be able to do)

• Language Objectives: Focus on language development, language needs, and language use for the lesson (How Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing will be incorporated into the lesson)

This PowerPoint is contributed by the Campbell Union Elementary School District

to the English Language Acquisition Consortium (ELAC) in Santa Clara County, 2011.56

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONTENT AND LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES

(Egbert & Ernst-Slavit, 2010)

Content Objectives

The ideas/facts/processes students will learn as a result of a lesson

Format

SWAT+ measurable/observable outcome (verb) + specific content

• SWBAT identify three central causes of the Civil War

Language Objectives

The language that students need to meet the content objectives and participate in task processes

Format

SWAT + measurable outcome (verb) + language skills, functions, grammar, strategies, or vocabulary required for the task

• SWBAT use past tense verbs

57

EXAMPLES of Language Objectives from a unit on Fractions – Grade 4

SWBAT:

• Use technical vocabulary, expressions, and sentences to describe fractions.

• Use comparative language to contrast fractions.

• Use sequential language in stating procedures to prepare a cooking recipe.

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LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES(Egbert & Ernst-Slavit, 2010)

Language

Objectives…

are the HOW of the

lesson

should be specific

about the language

skills you want

students to develop

derive from the

content to be taught

consider the

strengths and

needs of students

present

measurable,

achievable

outcomes

59

Allow Translanguaging

60

Translanguaging

• Coined by Cen Williams in Wales (1994)•

• All languages are used in an integrated and coherent way to organize and mediate mental processes in learning.”

• Making meaning• Shaping experiences• Gaining understanding• Through two languages

(Baker, 2011, p. 288)

In sum…

1. Be aware of the academic language demands

2. Help your students become aware of the differences between everyday and academic language

3. Teach sentence-level structures

4. Foster word consciousness

In sum…

5. Use cognates

6. Write content and language objectives

7. Allow and encourage translanguaging

In today’s educational context, every teacher is a language teacher and every

student a language learner.

Thank you.

Gisela Ernst-Slavit, PhDgernst@wsu.edu

64

Questions

Selected ReferencesCannon, J. (1993). Stellaluna. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Inc.

Egbert, J. L., & Ernst-Slavit, G. (2010). Access to academics: Planning instruction for K-12 classrooms with ELLs. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Francis, D. J., Rivera, M., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., & Rivera, H. (2006). Research-based recommendations for instruction and academic interventions. Portsmouth, NH: Center on Instruction. Retrieved from http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/ELL1-Interventions.pdf

Gottlieb, M., & Ernst Slavit, G. (2014). Academic language in diverse classrooms: Definitions and Contexts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Gottlieb, M., & Ernst Slavit, G. (2013). Academic language in diverse classrooms: Mathematics Series. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Gottlieb, M., & Ernst Slavit, G. (2014). Academic language in diverse classrooms: English Language Arts Series. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Lemke, J. (1990). Talking Science: Language, Learning, and Values. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing.

Selected References – cont.Lorio, N. (2006). Bats! New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Martin, A. (2013). Texting slang creeps into students writing. http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130817/NEWS/130819461?p=3&tc=pg

Minaya-Rowe, L. (2014). A Gothic Story: “The Cask of Amontillado”. In M. Gottlieb & G. (Series Eds.). Academic language in diverse classrooms: Promoting content and language learning. English language arts, grades 6-8, (pp. 137-182). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Scarcella, R., & Rumberger, E. (2000). Academic English key to long-term success in school. UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute Newsletter, 9, 1-2.

Washington English Language Proficiency Standards (2014). Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. http://www.k12.wa.us/MigrantBilingual/ELD.aspx

Walqui, A., & Heritage, M. (2012). Instruction for diverse groups of English Language Learners. Retrieved from http://ell.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/academic-papers/09-Walqui%20Heritage%20Instruction%20for%20Diverse%20Groups%20FINAL_0.pdf