Planning for Academic Language Language Objectives Why? How? 1/4/2016ELA pr1

Why is academic language so important? Students who master academic language are more likely to: – be successful in academic and professional settings Students who do not learn language may: – struggle academically – be at a higher risk of dropping out of school Let’s first begin by thinking about the language of school. 1/4/2016ELA pr2

What is academic language? Academic language is: – the language used in the classroom and workplace. – the language of text. – the language of assessments. – the language of academic success. – the language of power. It is the language our students need to access. 1/4/2016ELA pr3

Try This.. 1. Think about your best friend. 2. How would you describe him or her to a colleague? Take a moment to think this through.. 3. Now think about the 911 tragedy and describe the events that occurred that day to a colleague. Would you use different words? Would your sentence structure change? You probably use more “formal” language and you were careful in the way you phrased the events. Yes. your register changed, your tenor, field and mode and audience. 1/4/2016ELA pr4

Social Language vs. Academic Language When using social, or informal, English in daily conversation, it’s possible to communicate by using slang and without using English in a grammatically correct way. You can be understood without using: – articles – prepositions – sophisticated vocabulary – pronoun reference Our students still need social language as a bridge to academic language. 1/4/2016ELA pr5

Recognizing Social vs. Academic Language InformalFormal Repetition of words Sentences start with “and “but” Use of slang, “guy, “cool “and “awesome” Variety of words, more sophisticated vocabulary Sentences start with transition words, such as “however”, moreover,” and “in addition” No slang Do you feel that we need to explicitly explain these differences to our students? 1/4/2016ELA pr6

Academic Language The language needed by students to do the work in schools. It includes, for example, discipline-specific vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, and applications of rhetorical conventions and devices that are typical for a content area (e.g., essays, lab reports, discussions of a controversial issue). 1/4/2016ELA pr7

What we know. “Students must learn how to think, act, believe, speak, listen, read and write in a way that is expected in school”, Freedman and Freedman (2009) So we recognize that academic language needs to be embedded into our content areas. How do we plan strategically for this in our content areas? 1/4/2016ELA pr8

1/4/20169 Language Objectives Specify the language that students need to understand academic content and to further demonstrate that understanding. ELA pr

Writing a Language Objective 1. What is the language your English Language Learner needs to process or produce to demonstrate their learning? 2. Content Objectives : What? 3. Language Objective : How?. 4. How will you provide the opportunity to practice the language? (Support) Ask yourself. 1/4/2016ELA pr10

We think about the functions of language: How will the language be used? Will the students, ask questions, compare and contrast, explain etc.? What are some of the forms of language students will use when using a particular type of function; content vocabulary, grammatical structures etc.? When we think of language. 1/4/2016ELA pr11

Language Functions and Forms How will the student use the language? (Function ) Domain: speaking, listening, reading or writing What grammatical structures and vocabulary of the language will be used? (Forms) Compare and Contrast Retell Analyze Persuade Synthesis Infer Describe Explain Sequence Syntax and sentence structure Academic vocabulary Grammatical features (parts of speech, tense and mood, subject/verb agreement, adjectives, adverbs etc.) 1/4/2016ELA pr12

Writing a Language Objective Students will make predictions while listening to a read aloud. 1. Content Objective Explain Compare and Contrast Describe 2.Determine Language Function & Domain Students will explain their predictions, by using prediction, predict, predicted during a read aloud. 3.Identify Language Form ( content vocabulary, prepositions, conjunction; “because” etc.) 1/4/ ELA pr

Sentence stems to support intentional language development My prediction is ___________ What I predict is ___________ My partner predicted_________ Students will share predictions, by using prediction, predict and predicted during a read aloud. I predict ________because ______ My prediction is _________because _____ The reason why I predicted, is _______ Students will explain their predictions orally by using the conjunction, “because” during a read aloud. 1/4/2016ELA pr14

Writing a Language Objective 1/4/ Students will understand the parts of the water cycle by using their labels. Content Objective Explain Identify Compare and Contrast Determine Language Function & Domain Students will identify with labels the parts of the water cycle by using evaporation, condensation, and precipitation on a diagram. Identify the vocabulary or forms that will be used during the task. ELA pr

Sentence stems to support intentional language development First the …………Then……… The cycle begins, …. During the water cycle, … Students will explain the water cycle by using transition words (e.g., first, then, finally) First, …….. Then, the …….. Then it becomes …… Finally the……. Students will explain the water cycle by using clouds, travel, rain and water. 1/4/2016ELA pr16

Students will identify with labels the parts of the water cycle by using evaporation, condensation, and precipitation on a diagram. Function Form Support Content Objective: The student will understand the parts of the water cycle. Domain 1/4/2016ELA pr17

Functions for Language Objectives: This list can help you write great Language Objectives for each language domain. ListeningSpeakingReadingWriting Act, arrange, distinguish, duplicate, categorize, choose, copy, follow directions, identify, indicate, label, listen, match, order, point, recognize, role play, show, sort, tell Agree/disagree, answer, ask, converse, debate, define, describe, discuss, explain, express, give instructions, identify, name, practice, predict, pronounce, rehearse, repeat, rephrase, respond, restate, say steps in a process, share, state, summarize, tell, use vocabulary Discover, distinguish, explore, find, find specific info, identity, infer, interpret, locate, make connections, match preview, predict, read, read aloud, skim Ask and answer, questions, brainstorm, classify, collect, compare, contrast, create, describe, edit, evaluate, explain, illustrate, journal, label, list, order, organize, record, revise, state and justify, opinions, summarize, support, take notes, write 1/4/2016ELA pr18

Types of Supports Sensory SupportsVisual SupportsGroup Supports Real-life objects (realia) Manipulatives Pictures & photographs Illustrations, diagrams & drawings Magazines & newspapers Physical activities Videos & films Broadcasts Models & figures Charts Graphic organizers Tables Graphs Timelines Number lines In pairs or partners In triads or small groups In a whole group Using cooperative group structures With the Internet (Websites) or software programs In the native language (L1) With mentors 1/4/2016ELA pr19

Try this….. Content Objective Function Sentence Stems Leads to… Form Vocabulary & Grammatical Language Objective 1/4/ Supports ELA pr

A thought.. It is not just words that our kids need to learn, but how to articulate those words, read and understand them, and use them in their writing. 1/4/2016ELA pr21