Academic Language Development

All students who enter our classrooms bring unique language learning needs. Some may speak a native language other than English, and even among native English speakers, students will have varying levels of experience with the academic language specific to our disciplines. For example, a student new to computer programming will likely lack exposure to the specialized vocabulary, symbolic notation, and communication conventions essential for success in a first-semester programming course.

Academic language—defined as the vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and conventions for communicating in content-specific settings—is not something students simply memorize; rather, it is acquired through a developmental process that unfolds over time. All students, regardless of background, are continuously developing their language and literacy skills. To support this development, students need opportunities to engage with academic language in diverse and meaningful ways, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing in context. They also need a safe learning environment where they can take intellectual risks, receive feedback, and see academic language modeled.

Research-based strategies, including the use of metalanguage—encouraging students to think and talk about language itself—can further enhance learning. This may look like discussions that connect the meaning of new vocabulary to prior vocabulary knowledge possessed by students.  This could look like students talking about how or why language conventions are useful or confusing.  There are many ways in which we can engage students in metalanguage tasks. These strategies may vary in effectiveness depending on the student, context, and learning goals, but when thoughtfully applied, they create inclusive and supportive classrooms that foster language growth for all learners.

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• RESEARCH

  Examine selected research on academic language development:

  Cumming, A.  (2013).  Multiple dimensions of academic language literacy development.  Language learning.  63(1) 130-152.
  https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2012.00741.x(opens in new window)

  Borgioli, G. M. (2008). Equity for English Language Learners in the Mathematics Classroom. Teaching Children Mathematics, 15(3), 185–191. https://doi.org/10.5951/TCM.15.3.0185(opens in new window)

  Lee, O. (2005). Science education with English language learners: Synthesis and research agenda. Review of Educational Research, 75(4), 491–530. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543075004491(opens in new window)

  Lin, H., & Chen, T. (2006). Decreasing cognitive load for novice EFL learners: Effects of question and descriptive advance organizers in facilitating EFL learners’ comprehension of an animation-based content lesson. System (Linköping), 34(3), 416–431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2006.04.008(opens in new window)

  Phillips Galloway, E., Dobbs, C., Olivo, M., Madigan, C. (2019). ‘You can…”: An examination of language-minoritized learners’ development of metalanguage and agency as users of academic language within a multivocal instructional approach. Linguistics and education. 50 13-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2019.01.002(opens in new window) 

  Schleppegrell, M. J. (2013).  The role of metalanguage in supporting academic language development. Language learning. 63(1) 153-170.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2012.00742.x(opens in new window)

  Shyyan, V., Thurlow, M. L., & Liu, K. K. (2008). Instructional Strategies for Improving Achievement in Reading, Mathematics, and Science for English Language Learners With Disabilities. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 33(3), 145–155. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534508407313239(opens in new window)

  Uccelli, P., Phillips Galloway, E., Barr, C., Meneses, A., Dobbs, C. (2015). Beyond vocabulary: Exploring cross-disciplinary academic-language proficiency and its association with reading comprehension.  Reading research quarterly. 50(3) 337-356. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.104(opens in new window) 

• APPLICATION

  Ready to apply academic language development strategies to your teaching? Here are some ideas and strategies to get you started:

  1. Create an advance organizer(opens in new window) for students to use to take lecture notes or guide their work during an activity.
  2. Plan opportunities for students to engage in discourse related to the topic you are teaching.  This provides opportunities for students to engage in what Michael Long(opens in new window) calls negotiation of meaning(opens in new window).
  3. Review lecture materials to ensure that they contain visuals that support students in understanding the language being used (both academic language and formal or informal English). 
  4. Plan a learning activity where students will work with real objects or manipulatives to complete a content-specific task.  Be sure to provide discourse opportunities during this activity. Explicitly connect the academic or formal language used in class to informal, accessible language used by your students.
  5. Develop learning activities and assessments that authentically model the contexts in which students will need to use the skills they are developing, including academic language.
  6. Develop and apply rubrics that use the academic language that is needed to successful completion of assignments or otherwise focus on using academic language in the written and spoken feedback that you provide to students.