The ability to effectively communicate using conventional or academic language has become a prerequisite for participation in everyday 21st century life. Due to the large amounts of time students spend speaking and writing with friends through texting and social media, it is imperative that teachers arm them with the necessary vocabulary skills in order to be able to effectively “code switch” in appropriate settings. Effectively teaching this skill allows students access to opportunities.
“Academic language is a meta-language that helps learners acquire the 50,000 words they are expected to have internalized by the end of high school and includes everything from illustration and chart literacy to speaking, grammar, and genres within fields.
Think of academic language as the verbal clothing that we don in classrooms and other formal contexts to demonstrate cognition within cultures and to signal college readiness. There are two major kinds: instructional language (“What textual clues support your analysis?”) and language of the discipline (examples include alliteration in language arts, axiom in math, class struggle in social studies, and atom in science). No student comes to school adept in academic discourse—thus, thoughtful instruction is required.” - Todd Finley
It all starts with teachers modeling the use of sophisticated vocabulary in the classroom. The article below provides some suggestions for teachers on how to do this:
Another important facet is having teachers select the most important vocabulary words to teach.
Check out this resource on selecting appropriate vocabulary to teach: -while the article is designed with ELLs in mind, the practice can work with any student.
Selecting vocabulary Words to Teach English Language Learners
Some other tips:
Teacher makes an intentional effort to speak using academic language/ content vocabulary within a context that makes the meaning clear.
Students are provided opportunities to verbally practice content vocabulary
Authentic discussions require students to incorporate content vocabulary
Unit word walls serve as visible reminders of unit vocabulary
Build in talk routines to facilitate student discussion
Provide materials that support oral language activities (sentence stems, debate organizers etc..)
Teachers should use reading, writing and digital discussion activities which incorporate relevant content vocabulary
The resources below offers some concrete tips:
8 strategies discussion in remote setting
Other important ways to incorporate vocabulary in discussion remotely:
Including images with new content vocabulary
Students creating definitions of content vocabulary in their own words
The resource below offers many considerations for building academic vocabulary with MLLs/ELLs:
Building English Language Learners’ Academic Vocabulary Strategies & Tips
The resource below offers considerations for building academic vocabulary with students with IEPs:
Culturally responsive- sustaining education is grounded in a cultural view of learning and human development in which multiple expressions of diversity (e.g, race, social class, gender, language, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, ability) are recognized as assets for teaching and learning. Effective classroom discussions incorporate the knowledge and skills that students already possess and leverage them in classroom discussions to improve student skills.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. The ability to effectively communicate is critical to this development.