1. Introduce the Features of Academic Language.
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2. Variations of Language
Zweirs’ visual can be used as additional support for the importance of the sociocultural context in learning the language of content.
Adapted from Zwiers (2008)
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Providing Access to Academic Achievement Through Language Development 2

3. Academic Language Functional Approach (Halliday, 1975)
BICS and CALP (Cummins, 1979)
Sociocultural context of language learning (Brice Heath, Richard-Amato, Snow, 1986)
Academic LanguageS (Lemke, 1990)
Discourses (Gee, 1996, 2004)
Now that we have talked about our locus in the linguistic continuum in our society and that we have explored issues about language acquisition, we’d like to provide a theoretical framework to academic language. Why? Because as educators, academic language is one of the ways in which we can provide to our students to level the field (address educational equity for ELLs)
Therefore, what is AL? According to Research: functional linguistics, socio cultural and discourse theory
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4. Academic Language in Context
Culturally responsive pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1994)
Language of schooling (Schleppegrell, 2004)
Funds of Knowledge (Gonzalez, Moll & Amanti, 2005)
WIDA’s Can Do Philosophy (2004, 2007, 2012)
Continue discussion of AL
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5. Defining Academic Language
Academic language refers to the abilities to construct meaning from oral and written language, relate complex ideas and information, recognize features of different genres, and use various linguistic strategies to communicate.
Dutro & Moran (2003)
The WIDA ELP Standards guide the teaching and learning of academic language for English Language Learners.
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6. Academic Language Components
Discourse Features
Language Functions
Grammar/Syntax
Word/vocabulary
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7. Language & Content
Language proficiency involves the language associated with the content areas.
Content knowledge reflects the declarative (what) and procedural knowledge (how) associated with the content.
The WIDA Standards measure English language proficiency (ELP) in the academic content areas – not the academic content knowledge itself; the language of math, for example, what “greater than[>]” and “less than[<]” mean, not the math/computation itself (e.g., 6 [>/<] 5).
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