The Use of Academic Language Ellen Duffy

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The Use of Academic LanguageEllen Duffy Janet
Bryson
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• Agenda
• Research says
• Experience Effective Strategies
• Organizers and Foldables

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• It has been said that all students are Second
  Language Learners in regard to Academic Content
  Language.

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• The limits of my language mean the limits of my
  world.
• -Gloria Steinem

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VocabularyThe Scope of the Problem

• First-grade children from higher-SES groups know
  about twice as many words as lower SES children.
• (Graves, Brunetti, Slater, 1982Graves
  Slater, 1987)
• High School seniors near the top of their class
  knew about four times as many words as their
  lower-performing classmates. (Smith, 1941)
• High-knowledge third graders had vocabularies
  about equal to lowest-performing 12th graders.
• (Smith, 1941)

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Factors in Language Recognition
Students learn what they practice. Generally
speaking, more exposures are needed for Younger
learners More abstract words Words easily
confused with already known words (nouns and
verbs are learned faster than function
words) Gates, 1931McCormack, l999
Montgomery,2000 How much practice is needed
before a word is recognized automatically?

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Factors in Language Recognition
Cognitive Level IQ Range
Exposures Significantly Above Average
120-129 20 Above Average 110-119 30 Average
90-109 35 Slow Learner 80-89 40 Mild
Disability 70-79 45 Moderate Disability
60-69 55

Gates, 1931McCormack, l999 Montgomery,2000
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Four Components of a Comprehensive Vocabulary
Program

• Engage in Wide Reading
• Foster Word Consciousness
• Teach Word learning Strategies
• Teach Individual Words

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Effective Vocabulary Strategies

• Levels of Word Knowledge Activity
• Frayer Model Individual Vocabulary Log
• Problem Organizer
• Compare Contrast
• Content Conversation
• Word Wizard
• Graphic Organizers
• Foldables

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Levels of Word Knowledge

Unknown Meaning is completely
unfamiliar Acquainted Basic meaning is
recognized, after (Somewhat) some
thought Established Meaning is easily, rapidly,
and (Got It) automatically recognized

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Levels of Word Knowledge Activity

• Before beginning a unit, take a survey of the
  vocabulary to see where your students are.
• Give students the list and have them rate the
  words as unknown, acquainted (Somewhat),
  established (Got It).
• Collect to get a sense where students are.

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You try it!
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Five Step Process for Teaching Vocabulary(Robert
Marzano)

• Present students with a brief explanation or
  description of the new term or phrase
• Present students with a nonlinguistic
  representation of the new term or phrase.
• Ask students to generate their own explanations
  or descriptions of the term or phrase
• Ask students to create their own nonlinguistic
  representation of the term or phrase.
• Comparing and contrasting

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Frayer Model

• Includes the word
• The definition
• An example
• Non-example
• Reminder
• an illustration
• non-linguistic representation
• Or Facts/Characteristics

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Frayer Model Proportion
Definition Ratio ratio Important Features Cancel horizontally Cancel vertically NEVER cancel diagonally across an Cross multiply and solve the equation Ratio Word Problem write word rate first Direct variation problems may be solved with a proportion
Examples Non-Examples
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Problem Organizer

• Analysis of
• Vocabulary
• What is given?
• What you are trying to find?
• An Illustration
• The solution

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Problem Organizer Example

• A signal flare is fired upward with an initial
  speed 245 m/s. A stationary balloonist at a
  height of 1960 m sees the flare pass on the way
  up. How long after this will the flare pass the
  balloonist again on the way down?

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Content Conversation

• This is a Pair Activity where students try to use
  new vocabulary in context. For every correct use
  of a word, the students scores a point.

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Watch the Demo
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Word Wizard
Students are challenged to look and listen for
targeted words outside of their classroom. One
point is earned by reporting where a word was
seen or heard and how it was used.

Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002
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Graphic Organizers

• Venn Diagram
• Double Bubble
• Math Graffiti

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Venn Diagram Different Alike Different
__________________________________________
________________________________________
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You try the Slope Double Bubble!
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Foldables

• Flip Chart
• Secret Book
• Big Book of Math for Middle School and High
  School by Dinah Zikes

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• What 2 or 3 strategies will you incorporate into
  your current lesson plans?
• PLAN NOW.
• Record your plan on the back of your handout.