KEYS to Teaching Success: Academic Language for K-12 Students

Are You a Student or a Teacher?

      Before we dig into the concept of academic language for students, let's first clarify what we mean by the term students. You, the reader, might be enrolled as a student in an undergraduate or graduate teacher preparation program. Or you might be enrolled in an alternative preparation program. Even though you are a student yourself, this online resource does not examine the academic language that you should master. As you move forward on this page, we will identify you as a teacher or teacher candidate. We use the term students to refer to those young people enrolled in K-12 schools, the ones you're training to teach.

Tier 2 and Tier 3 Terms

      Another page of KEYS to Teaching Success examines the academic language that you, the teacher, should master. That page distinguishes between Tier 2 and Tier 3 terms (Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2013). This page also refers to those terms. For elaboration on those terms, please refer to "Academic Language for Teachers." For your convenience, though, here are two quick definitions:

• Tier 2: The academic language about learning in general. Some examples are glossary, multiple choice, critical thinking and academic honor code.
• Tier 3: The academic language about a specific subject matter. Some examples from a math class would be integers, variables, factors and radius. Some examples from a government class would be bicameral, legislature, electoral college and primary election.

Just as students need to master Tier 2 and Tier 3 terms, teachers must master them as well, but, of course, at a more sophisticated level.

      Now, please move on to our examination of Academic Language for students. 

      Academic language is about more than just knowing the correct terminology. It also has to do with the context in which you use that language and how confidently you and students are using it in speaking and writing. The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSO), defines academic language this way:

      Academic language, tied to specific subject area disciplines, captures–through vocabulary, grammar and organizational strategies–the complex ideas, higher-order thinking processes and abstract concepts of the discipline. It is the language used in classrooms, textbooks and formal presentations in a subject area and differs in structure and vocabulary from everyday spoken English (2011, p. 20).

      For example, we don’t go around everyday talking about numerators and denominators, but we think in fractions all the time, so knowing those terms helps us to understand the general concept of fractions and apply that knowledge in everyday life. Academic language can be a bridge between what happens in the classroom and how students operate day to day.

      Building that bridge means that we must consider the formal language of content as well as the approaches to conversation and dialogue in the classroom. Students enter classrooms from diverse backgrounds, so their language/conversation patterns are grounded in their cultural norms at home. Most students are raised in homes that use language that differs from the formal spoken English in today's traditional classrooms. You will likely notice these different language expectations between the classroom and students' home lives:

• the ways students ask and answer questions
• the ways students speak to adults in informal settings
• the ways students make eye contact and use body language
• the ways students structure spoken and written language
• the ways students structure narrative and story telling

      Teaching and using academic language at first seems simple, but as Theo’s story demonstrates, many (if not most) misunderstandings in the classroom come from gaps in communication. If students are uncomfortable with ways they can contribute to the learning process, they may be less interested in displaying their knowledge in the social setting of a classroom. Furthermore, the differences between the cultural and linguistic expectations of the home and school environment will impact the syntax and discourse of students as they communicate academic knowledge. Giving students opportunities to speak, write and collaborate will help them strengthen their understanding of the language of learning (Tier 2 words) and the language of their subject matter (Tier 3 words) (Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2013). Some low-pressure strategies for encouraging students to communicate their academic language include...

• Brain dumps
• Personal Reflection
• Small group pair-shares and discussions
• Explicit focus on content versus syntax and structure
• Feedback on the accuracy of academic language (content)

Click on the next segment to read more about encouraging students to use academic language through active learning.

      As with any skill, students will strengthen their mastery of academic language by using academic language. Filling out worksheets and copying definitions will do very little to support learning. Focus lesson on having students memorize words and definitions. Focus more on getting students actively involved in explaining processes, expressing problems and asking questions. Finley (2014) offers some helpful strategies, such as encouraging students to read diverse texts, helping them translate from social language to academic language (and back) and helping students identify similarities and differences, perhaps with Venn diagrams or T-charts.

     Finley (2014 also supports the use of informal communications when teaching students new terms. One effective way to help students understand challenging concepts is to explain them in more familiar terms. Take the legislative process, for instance. A young audience would probably tune out a spoken explanation of those steps, especially if that explanation is characterized by Tier 3 words like legislation, committee, subcommittee, hopper, viva voce, debate, veto or override.

      However, one beloved cartoon, produced in 1976 by Schoolhouse Rock, nicely explains the legislative process to an audience of primary school students (Sheldon, 1976). The cartoon anthropomorphizes a written document named Bill, who sings about his hopes to become a law one

day. Then, using familiar terms, repetitive phrasing and music, he takes the audience through the steps of a bill becoming a law.

      Students who might not readily understand the terms of legislation would understand what it's like to dream about becoming someone important when they get older. They might understand that achieving goals means taking the correct steps one at a time. By starting with those familiar feelings, the cartoon guides young viewers through more challenging concepts by using words kids already understand. The video's effectiveness is evident in the fact that after almost fifty years, teachers still use it to teach basic government concepts. In fact, many adults aged 50 or older can still sing the song without missing a lyric.

Academic language doesn’t have to be the language of your subject matter. As we learned from Theo’s experience, many sets of academic language include nonverbal communication and symbols as well as words and phrases that cross disciplinary boundaries. For instance, the cartoon images in the Schoolhouse Rock video support the vocabulary it introduces. Even the language of test-taking can be new for students. Tara Westover’s memoir Educated (2018) recalls one of her early experiences preparing for college. After years of being denied a traditional education, Westover eventually had the opportunity to take the ACT, where she first experienced a test with a bubble answer sheet. Her confusion about that answer sheet made it more difficult to complete the test. Because those bubbles signified the written options on the test itself, they were a form of communication. We don’t often think about those structures as a part of language, but they are. Westover’s experience is an egregious example, but consider another example from a recent graduate of a Georgia teacher-education program:

I once asked my students to turn to their partners and discuss questions 1-5 in a think-pair-share activity. I was shocked when I saw them switch papers, silently read their partners' answers, then turn back to their seats. I realized I needed to model what I meant by share, showing the class how one student should ask a question, share responses, then follow up with comments, questions or comparisons of work.

This teacher's lightbulb moment bears some similarity to Theo's experience in confusing the letter U with a smile.

      For another example, think about how many times teachers and administrators mention the importance of critical thinking. That phrase is an instance of academic language that students hear all the time. They often are expected to explain, discuss or analyze. However, few students realize that analysis is a form of critical thinking or that explaining and discussing are ways to demonstrate analysis. Few students understand that they analyze when they compare and contrast, examine causes and effects or outline processes. In fact, when students explain the stages of the legislative process, they are analyzing. It's up to us teachers to help students learn how they can communicate their analytical thinking in speech, writing, diagrams and other graphic forms of communication.

      Rethinking how we present academic language can benefit all students, but it can be especially critical for students whose primary language is not English. Moving to a new school in a different country filled with different rules, instructions and social expectations would be overwhelming–on top of trying to master a new language. These students need teachers who are willing to break down the academic language into smaller chunks and explain it in terms English language learners can comprehend. The chart below captures the range of Tier 2 academic language often used in any classroom. Before giving an English language learner an F for plagiarizing, for instance, teachers should first consider whether that student knows what plagiarism means.

Other Examples of Tier 2 Academic Language 

      While vocabulary drills and worksheets are quick ways to gauge students’ comprehension of language, remember that comprehension is a lower-level thinking skill. Engaging students actively in the learning process and in assessments will help them grasp not only the meanings of words and phrases, but also the nuances of language about different topics. John Hattie's (2017) research has sought to explore the most important ways in which schools, administration, educators and students can advance student learning. In summary, he has collected evidence of over 250 influences on student achievement--including both positive and negative qualities, practices and beliefs. It's no surprise that several student learning strategies create considerable growth for individual students. Many strategies focus on language acquisition and practice--in both oral and written forms.

      While the complete list offers a variety of techniques, several strategies focusing on academic language include the following:

• Jigsaws (1.20 effect size)
• Strategy integration with prior knowledge (0.93 effect size)
• Classroom discussion (.82 effect size)
• Summarization (.79 effect size)
• Mnemonics (.76 effect size)
• Rehearsal and memorization (.73 effect size)
• Feedback (.70 effect size)

When planning a new unit of study or introducing a new topic, explore ways that you can get your students actively talking about the content and making meaning through dialogue, feedback and shared experiences.

      Angela Peery (2021) offers some helpful suggestions of learning activities that get students using the language instead of trying to remember it. Some of those strategies correspond with Hattie's research mentioned above. Through informal conversations and written reflections Peery's students support students at all ages as they “grow their vocabulary and verbal acuity.” The classroom assessments in the next segment can also give students that important language practice for Tier 2 and Tier 3 language.

It takes time to learn new words for new situations. Think about when you started your teacher education program. You probably struggled over the precise ways to use terms like differentiation of learning process or measurable performance objectives. You might have needed much practice before you felt confident discussing how self-assessment supports students’ metacognitive skills or how accommodations give students access to learning opportunities. Your students confront the same challenges when you teach them Tier 2 terms such as primary sources and reference works. Just like you, they’re often intimidated by new Tier 3 words, such as acid and base. And that’s okay. They’ve been learning and experimenting with language for years before they arrived in your classroom, so their learning process won’t be simple or easy. But with supportive learning strategies that allow them to use that language (and make mistakes with it), they’ll eventually become stronger and more confident communicators.

References

Beck, I., McKeown, M., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. 2nd. ed. Guildford Press.

Council of Chief State School Officers. (2011). InTASC: Model core teaching standards: A resource for state  dialogue. https://ccsso.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/InTASC_Model_Core_Teaching_Standards_2011.pdf.

Finley, T. (2014, Jan. 2) 8 strategies for teaching academic language. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/8-strategies-teaching-academic-language-todd-finley.

Hattie, (2017). Visible learning 250+ influences on student achievement. https://bit.ly/2AMp33m.

McGuire, S. (2015). Teach students how to learn: Strategies you can incorporate into any course to improve student metacognition, study skills and motivation. Stylus.

Ojala, M. (2017, Jan/Feb). Locating and creating SWOT analyses. Online searcher. 59-62.

Peery, A. (2021, Dec. 13). 8 ways to grow students' vocabulary. Cult of Pedagogy. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/8-vocabulary-strategies.

Sheldon, J. (1976). I'm just a bill. [Video] Schoolhouse Rock, Inc. American Broadcasting Company.

Remler, N. (2022). Bill illustration. [Image]. Georgia Southern University, Savannah, GA.

Westover, T. (2018). Educated: A memoir. Random House.

Zwiers, J.  (2014). Building academic language: Meeting common core standards across disciplines, grades 5-12. John Wiley & Sons.