Academic Language for

English Language Learners

Featuring
Dr. Robin Scarcella, University of California at Irvine

Hosted by
Delia Pompa, National Council of La Raza

Available on demand | www.ColorinColorado.org/webcasts

What is academic language?

• Academic language is:

– the language used in the classroom and workplace
– the language of text
– the language assessments
– the language of academic success
– the language of power

Note: To see an extended introduction to academic language, look at chapters 4

and 5 of the Doing What Works’ Digital Workshop about
Teaching Reading to English Language Learners.
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 academic language may:

– struggle academically
– be at a higher risk of dropping out of school
Academic language in action:
Two writing samples from a university ESL student

Letter #1: Before Academic Language Instruction

Dear Mrs. Robbin,

I really not need humanity 20 writing class because since time I come to United State all my
friend speak language. Until now everyone understand me and I dont’ need study language.
I don’t know Vietnam language. I speak only English. I have no communication problem with
my friend in dorm. My English teacher in high school key person to teach me.

My teacher explained to me that how important the book was for the student and persuaded
me read many book. I get A in English through out high school and I never take ESL. I gree
that some student need class but you has not made a correct decision put me in English
class. Please do not makes me lose the face. I have confident in English.
Academic language in action (cont.):

Letter #2: After Academic Language Instruction

Hi Robin, I am apologize for having to send you this information at the last minute. I still
need a letter. This letter should discuss my qualifications, skills and accomplishments. It
should be written on letterhead and addressed “To Whom It May Concern” and submitted
with a Recommendation Form (which I will give to you tomorrow).

Please write a letter that addresses my academic achievement, seriousness of purpose,

personal maturity, and whether or not I possess the skills necessary to adapt to a new
environment. Also, please address my ability to think analytically, my aptitude, my overall
maturity and my independence. Thank you so much Robin for doing this for me. I truly
appreciate it. Let me know if you have any last minute questions.
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

Note: Read more about the difference between social and academic language at
Colorín Colorado.
Do students need to master social language first?

• In the United States, we tend to teach informal “survival”

English first, and then academic language

• However, it is possible to lay the foundation for academic

language while teaching conversation skills
Recognizing social vs. academic language

When comparing social and academic language, students should

look for the following differences:

Informal Language Academic Language

variety of words, more
repetition of words
sophisticated vocabulary
sentences start with transition
sentences start with
words, such as “however,”
“and” and “but”
“moreover,” and “in addition”

use of slang: “guy,” “cool,” and

No slang
“awesome”

Note: This chart may not appear on printouts of the outline format.
 Activity Idea:
Recognizing social v. academic language
• Passage comparison is an effective way to teach students
how to recognize the differences between social and
academic language

1. Give students 2 passages – one using informal language, and

one using academic English
2. Ask students to compare the passages step-by-step in groups
or with a partner
3. Have groups write a list of differences between the kinds of
languages used, and discuss their findings
4. Repeat this exercise with numerous passages until students are
able to recognize the differences between social and academic
language
Academic language in oral expression

• Academic language is also a part of speaking

• Mastering oral academic language will allow students to

participate in:
– academic discussions
– debates
– presentations in front of their peers
 Activity Idea:
Practicing oral academic language
1. Prepare students to speak in front of others by teaching them
academic words and grammatical features that would be
used in a presentation, such as:

– “The topic of my presentation is…”

– “First, I will provide some background information”
– “In conclusion…”
– “Are there any questions?”
 Activity Idea:
Practicing oral academic language (cont.)

1. Have students practice these expressions in pairs before

doing an oral presentation

• Helping students prepare for presentations with a partner

will:

– increase their confidence

– give them more opportunities to practice using their academic
language
Using academic language in a student’s native
language

• As with reading skills, if students have acquired academic

language in their first language, they will be able to acquire
academic language much more quickly in their second
language
At what age should academic language
instruction begin?
• Preschool through 3rd grade
– Students need to learn age-appropriate vocabulary and
language that will give them a strong foundation for academic
language in the future

• 4th grade through 8th grade

– Instruction should transition in order to teach students more
sophisticated academic language skills, including vocabulary
and grammatical structures

Note: Formal academic language instruction should begin in 4th grade.

At what age should academic language
instruction begin? (cont.)
• 9th grade through 12th grade
– Students need to know a large vocabulary of academic words
used across academic disciplines, and they need to have access
to and use more complicated grammatical structures

Note: Learn more about ELLs in Middle and High School from the related webcast
on Colorín Colorado.
Instruction for young children

• What does age-appropriate instruction look like for young

children?
– Young children are good language learners, and are eager to
learn new words and participate in conversation
– Teachers of young students can build a foundation for future
academic language skills
Instruction for young children (cont.)

• Example: Show and Tell

1. When organizing a Show and Tell session, teach young children

the phrase: “I’m going to share an experience I had.”
2. From this phrase, children learn two new words:
• “share” – rather than “tell” or “talk about”
• “experience”
3. This exercise would be more appropriate than literary analysis,
which is appropriate for older students
Linguistic concepts and academic language

• Academic language includes many areas of language such

as:
– phonology and spelling

Examples: Pronunciation stress shifts

Anthropology v. anthropological
Morphology v. morphological
manipulate v. manipulation

Although these words are closely related and look very similar,
they have spelling and pronunciation differences that may be
confusing to English language learners
Linguistic concepts and academic language (cont.)

• Academic language also includes:

– vocabulary

• Points to remember:
– Vocabulary knowledge plays an important role in a
student’s ability to understand the language used in
academic assessments
– Ongoing, systematic instruction is needed to help students
expand their academic vocabulary
– Students need to know how to use a word as well as its
definition

Note: Read more about vocabulary development at Colorín Colorado.

Linguistic concepts and academic language (cont.)

Example: Teaching vocabulary

anthropology
Vocabulary teaching technique
1. Repeat word 3 times
2. Show student a sentence using the target word from their
textbook
3. Talk about how it is used
4. Make up new sentences using the word
5. Have students practice using the word with partners
6. Remember that some students need more practice than
others to use language accurately
Note: To learn about other concepts included in academic language, review
Dr. Scarcella’s interview for the Doing What Works website.
Choosing what to teach in academic language
instruction
• Teachers should teach language that will help students
access the text or content:
– When teaching reading comprehension, teachers should
identify language that students will have difficulty
understanding and will determine student’s ability to
comprehend text
• This language may include:
– an academic vocabulary word (such as “stimulate”)
– a preposition (“between”)
– an adverb (“hardly”)
– a conjunction (“and”)
– a grammatical structure (“either…or”)
Academic language and word usage

• Explicit, specific instruction of word use is necessary for

English language learners (ELLs)

Example: Word Form and Use

Teach English language learners (ELLs) the difference between
“stimulate” and “stimulation,” and how the different forms are
used

• When teaching native speakers, a definition for a new

word is often sufficient
Academic language and word usage (cont.)

• The definition alone is not sufficient for ELLs

• ELLs need to:
– understand text and definitions
– use the word correctly
– produce accurate language with the word
– understand the definitions of related words
– discuss the text using target words correctly
 Activity: Beyond definitions

• One way to teach word usage is by using a word bank:

1. Give students a word bank. Discuss the words in the bank

and how they are used in the text. Talk about how you
would use the words
2. Provide students with the definitions and model sentences
for all of the words
3. In pairs, have students discuss usage of the words, and
how the words are being used in the model sentences.
What would be appropriate or inappropriate uses of these
words?
 Activity: Close reading

• Close reading gives students a chance to “slow down”

1. Read a short passage aloud to students so they hear the
melody of the language
2. Explain the passage to students
3. Ask students to read the passage, focusing on a few specific
features of academic language, such as pronouns

Example: Close Reading

Have students underline all pronouns and then circle the nouns
to which they refer
Fixed expressions in academic language

• Fixed expressions (also called collocations) are another

important area of academic language, such as:

– peanut butter and jelly (not jelly and peanut butter)

– salt and pepper (not pepper and salt)
– Mr. and Mrs. (not Mrs. and Mr.)

• Using these kinds of expressions correctly is an important

step in learning a second language well
– Collocations serve as a “marker” of being able to speak like a
native speaker
What does close reading accomplish?

• Close reading allows students to examine and dissect other

features of the text such as:
– pronominal reference (use of pronouns)
– synonyms
– word families

• Talking about the text allows students to incorporate the

author’s language into their speech
 Activity: Summarization

• To get students using academic language, try

summarization:
1. Read a short passage aloud to students
2. Have students read the short passage to themselves and
then summarize verbally to a friend
3. Give students the opportunity to repeat the exercise with
several partners

Through this exercise, students begin to acquire the author’s

language, and will get more and more fluent with the language
each round
 Activity: Engaging older students

• To keep middle and high school students engaged:

1. Explicitly explain the language objective at the beginning

of class: “Today we’re going to work on academic
vocabulary in this passage about poverty, and we’re going
to talk about ways to eliminate poverty.”

2. Choose a topic that older students will find interesting,

such as poverty or another “equity issue” related to a
passage in your textbook
 Activity: Engaging older students (cont.)

1. Ask the students to summarize the text and provide them

with vocabulary words, ideas about ways to end poverty,
and complete sentences and structures to get them going

3. Have students work in pairs, practicing using these

structures such as:

“We can stop poverty by verb + ing

doing the following…”

• Now students can express their own beliefs. These

conversations may serve as the basis for a class
discussion or presentation
Tips for working with older students

• Students perform to the expectations we set. If they know we

expect them to think critically about issues and use academic
language, they will

• In order to increase confidence:

– scaffold instruction to help them acquire the language
– allow students adequate time to practice in a safe environment
before getting in front of their classmates
Tips for working with younger students

• Keep the material cognitively and linguistically appropriate

• Remember that some features of language can be taught

explicitly to young students

• Example: Academic language for younger students

– “Two plus two equals (with an ‘s’) four.”
– Talk about the ‘z’ sound of a bumble bee, and get students
moving around
Tips for working with younger students (cont.)

• With younger students, use:

– songs
– jazz chants
– Total Physical Response strategies (TPR)
– language games and repetition
– choral repetition
– direct instruction
Does academic language need its own block of
time?

• Grades K through 3:
– Academic language needs separate instruction, but it also
needs to support the core curriculum

• Grades 4 and up:

– Academic language needs more explicit instruction. Every
day should include vocabulary, content, writing, and reading
comprehension instruction, as well as direct scaffolding of
oral language
How much time should teachers spend on
academic language instruction?
• For younger students, the time varies
– If students have big gaps in their basic knowledge, they will
need more time each day
– If students don’t have instructional gaps in their language skills,
45 minutes a day is sufficient

• Older students need more time

– Students need more than an hour of daily English language
instruction that includes a component of academic language
Tips for academic language and writing

• Every time you give a writing assignment, give students

samples to follow so they know what is expected. Multiple
samples are better

Example: Giving students writing tools

– “In this essay, I expect a thesis statement. This is where it goes,
and this is what it does. Here is an example.”

• Give students supports, such as:

– vocabulary
– grammatical structures
– tips for organizing essays
Academic writing in the content areas

• Content area teachers can also teach writing explicitly

• Examples:
– lab reports in biology class
– persuasive essays in social studies class
– word problems in algebra class
• One strategy is to:
– provide students with examples of academic writing used in
that content area
– give students a chance to practice with content-based writing
assignments
– offer instructional support and feedback
Importance of feedback

• Points to remember:
– It’s important that academic language instruction include
feedback for both oral and written expression

Example: Uncorrected errors

• A student who uses “first of all” as a single word
(“firstofall”) will not learn that it is an expression of three
words if she is never corrected

– The objective of constructive feedback is not punishment or

criticism. Instead, it allows students to learn from their
mistakes
Using a school-wide feedback system

• It’s helpful if the whole school uses the same system of

proofreading and editing

• An editing system may include:

– underlining or highlighting words
– writing in the margin
– using proofreading symbols
Using a school-wide feedback system (cont.)

• Advantages of using a school-wide system include:

– Students don’t have to learn new symbols as they go from one
grade and teacher to the next

– Students know exactly what kind of feedback their teachers

are going to give them

– They know when the teacher is going to give them this

feedback. They don’t consider it punitive because they expect it
Curriculum and content objectives

• Points to remember:
– When learning new content, ELLs also need to learn the lesson’s
language objectives in order to understand the content

– Every time a teacher chooses a new reading text to help the

students acquire the content standards, students will be exposed
to new language objectives in addition to new content

– When students receive reading, writing, or oral assignments,

they will need to learn different language objectives based on
the kind of assignment and what it requires
Who is responsible for teaching academic
language?
• In elementary schools, the primary instructor has the
responsibility for laying the foundation of academic language
instruction by teaching a strong language proficiency in:
– phonology
– spelling
– grammar
– vocabulary

• Teachers in elementary schools can also work closely with

ESL instructors and reading specialists in order to support
language instruction
What is the role of the content teachers at a high
school level?
• The content teacher’s responsibilities do not include:
– becoming a reading specialist
– becoming an ESL teacher

• The ELL instructor is going to be responsible for teaching

academic language and English language development
and proficiency

Note: Read more about teaching content areas to ELLs at Colorín Colorado.
What is the role of the content teachers?

• The content teacher’s responsibilities do include:

– teaching reading comprehension by using graphic organizers
and teaching note-taking skills
– scaffolding discussions in content-area classes by teaching
related vocabulary, using academic words, and using the text
– teaching any kind of writing associated with the content area

Example: Teaching language in content classes

A chemistry teacher might teach students the language used in
a lab report or to describe a chemistry experiment
Vocabulary in content instruction

• Points to remember:

– The best place to teach specific content vocabulary at the high

school level is in the content class, rather than the ESL class

– Content vocabulary can be reinforced in the ESL class, but

teaching a vocabulary word within its context will be more
effective
Vocabulary in content instruction (cont.)

• Example: “photosynthesis”

– Instruction of this content word will be more effective in a

biology context than in an ESL class

– Students will be able to develop a more thorough

understanding of target vocabulary in a content classroom
Academic language and newcomers

• Students who arrive late in our system need more instruction

than we have previously estimated

• Newcomers need a lot of extra instruction. Some scheduling

options include:
– intensive 3- or 4-hour language blocks
– summer school
– tutoring before and after school
– attending school for an extra year
Long-term ELLs and academic language

• Points to remember:
– Long-term ELLs, or students who have been in the United
States for a longer period of time, are the largest-growing
student population that we have in the U.S.

– Students need intensive instruction, as well as opportunities

to practice with ongoing feedback, so that their language
skills improve

– These students will acquire the language of their peers and

may have very proficient social language, but they need
academic language so that they can succeed academically
and fulfill their potential
Long-term ELLs and academic language (cont.)

• ELL teachers can help long-term ELLs develop their

language skills by using:
– dictation exercises
– oral sentence completion activities
– written cloze passages
– summarization and retelling of passages
– frequent writing practice with intensive feedback
Independent use of academic language

• Points to remember:
– As students get older, teacher support needs to pull back so
that students learn how to use academic language
independently

– Teachers need to plan explicitly to familiarize students with a

lot of effective learning strategies that they will be able to use
on their own
Resources: Learner dictionaries

• One way to help ELLs in 4th grade and above use academic
language independently is through learner dictionaries,
offered by many publishers

• Learner dictionaries offer:

– a definition
– grammatical information
– the word used in a sentence
– variations of the word
– expressions using the word (such as “discriminate against”)
– common errors in usage
Independent use of academic language

• Students need to learn skills that will allow them to:

– self-edit
– continue independent language development in the mainstream
classroom
– recognize strengths and weaknesses, such as subject/verb
agreement or word forms and related parts of speech
Administrators and academic language

• Administrators can support academic language instruction

by:
– investigating the very best curricular programs for teaching
academic language
– implementing a coherent program for English language
development (ELD)
– observing academic language instruction
– ensuring that teachers are prepared to teach academic language
Administrators and professional development

• Administrators can also support academic language

instruction by:
– giving teachers the opportunity to access high-quality
professional development
– ensuring that teachers know how to scaffold content so that they
can identify and teach the language objectives necessary for
students to access the content
Teacher collaboration

• Teachers can collaborate on academic language instruction

by:
– setting aside lesson planning time in which they come together
to talk about the curriculum for English language development

• Collaboration should be happening with:

– ESL and ELD coaches
– reaching specialists and coaches
– administrators
– any other specialists in the schools
Online resources

• Colorín Colorado:
– Writing a Winning Essay
– Teaching ELLs to Read

• AdLit.org (Adolescent Literacy):

– ELL Resources

• University of California:
– Linguistic Minority Research Institute
Online resources (cont.)

• University of California:
– ESL Program

• Doing What Works (website referred to by Dr. Scarcella):

– Academic Language
– Teaching Reading to ELLs: Digital Workshop

• National Council of Teachers of English:

– Teaching Secondary ELL Students
Myths and misconceptions

• Myth: It takes students a certain number of years (i.e., 7

years) to acquire academic language

• Truth: The amount of time it takes students to master

academic language directly depends on:
– exposure to academic language
– amount of practice in using academic language
– extent of academic language instruction and feedback
Myths and misconceptions (cont.)

• Myth: We can teach academic language in an ESL or an

English language development (ELD) class, and then
students don’t need more instruction afterwards

• Truth: Even after completing ESL instruction:

– students need sustained, effective academic language
instruction throughout the upper grades and even in college in
order to master correct usage and expression
Myths and misconceptions (cont.)

• Myth: Academic language is easy to assess

• Truth: Academic language is actually very poorly defined for

assessment purposes
– Research is just beginning to develop that will help us identify
the features of academic language that are assessable at the
various proficiency levels
– When we get test scores back on proficiency, we’ve only got a
slice of what students can do academically
Final thoughts

• Points to remember:

– Academic language is highly teachable

– ELLs are a hard-working group of students who can and have

achieved great heights academically

– One of the most effective and important ways to support their

future success is by teaching them academic language
 Thank you for joining us for this Colorín Colorado webcast!

For more information about instructing English language learners, please visit
www.ColorinColorado.org

Funding for this Colorín Colorado webcast is provided by the American Federation
of Teachers with additional support from the National Council of La Raza.