Increasing Academic Language Knowledge for English

Language Learner Success by: Kristina Robertson

As I began to read this article, there was a quote that stood out
to me. Written by Ludwig Wittgenstein, the quote states, The limits of
my language mean the limits of my world. Language is the focal point
in how we communicate, learn, and grow together in order to
successfully adapt and utilize the English language with the
incorporation of academic vocabulary terms. This article begins with
the ideas of how to successfully teach and implement academic
language, leading students to naturally produce English clearly without
the avoidance and fear of misusing the language.
As stated in the article by Kristina Robertson, There are three
things to keep in mind when teaching academic language: academic
language must be introduced and then reinforced, academic language
can be more than content area vocabulary, and it is important to
create assessments that measure knowledge in a meaningful way.
These core focuses in teaching the academic vocabulary effectively to
ELLs will lead for a successful outcome inside and outside of the
classroom. Within this article, there is a sample science lesson
discussed honing in on the life cycle of a frog. The process includes the
use of allowing students to write the vocabulary words in a resource,
using visuals and hands on learning to firmly understand the terms, as

well as allowing students to share their explanations or draw visuals to

support their knowledge of the vocabulary. This procedure can be
adapted and used into any lesson, which will encourage students to
apply these common strategies as they further their language
development.
To deepen students knowledge for vocabulary, teachers must
create developing opportunities for students to focus on new
vocabulary and how the use of functional vocabulary can influence the
students knowledge of the content discussed and taught. A way to do
this would be to guide students to review specific sentence prompts
and phrases that will aid the students to utilize and use the new
vocabulary in new sentences. Referring students to tools such as word
walls and literacy notebooks will also assist in their further
development and use of the language. Continuing to use these
resources and approaches, the use of proper and meaningful
assessments will also allow for the appropriate understanding of which
students demonstrate a firm understanding for academic language.
This article provides educators with a myriad of resources,
strategies, and methods that can and should be used to motivate and
encourage the appropriate use of academic language. Providing
adapted and modified approaches to teaching this content, to meet the
needs of ELLs, will also increase the students value for this area of
content. As stated in the article, When teachers increase students

academic language knowledge, they are giving them the tools they
need to digest a lifetime of learning and continue to expand the limits
of their world. We must continue to set the standards high to advance
and encourage all students to view the English language in a positive
light.