Writing for Academic Language
Writing for Academic Language
This chapter is great in that it addresses the dire need for many students to practice writing academic language. It is true that as you move on up in school, there is less of an emphasis placed on narrative writing and/or journaling and more of a focus on academic writing, particularly persuasive writing. I can recall my first time learning to write an argumentative essay. It was in Grade 6 and I had no idea what a “thesis” was or a “body”. On top of that, we had to include paragraphs called introductions and conclusions. We were given a standard template to follow: intro, body (three supporting points in the order of second strongest point, weakest point, and finishing off with the strongest point) and a conclusion. I remember going from reading things off of a reading card to suddenly have to produce a piece of writing. It is a daunting task to convey ideas formally into your own words; energy is expended when it comes to churning out grammatically correct sentences that are cohesive. I liken this challenge to someone who can understand a spoken language but who is unable to engage in dialogue simply because their production of words and sentences is not developed. This suggests that practice is the KEY to mastering anything, including academic writing.
The example about having seat-belts on the bus (p. 197) conveys the message across clearly but it is written in a colloquial language. The best solution here would be to repeatedly expose children to the specific genre of writing they are about to engage in. Over time, they will develop the specific lingo, idioms, and catch onto the nuances of speech commonly used in academic language. Reading and speaking aloud (much like a song) can indirectly ingrain into children’s minds, the way they should structure their sentences. I also liked the examples of using graphic organizers. In my undergrad degree, I ventured out of the regular note taking world into one of cloud formations and funny scribbles. I attempted this for some time but found that for complex note taking, I needed to write more than I could possibly convey in a diagram. This is not to say that Venn-diagrams and mind maps are ineffective. Rather, they should be used in conjunction with proper note taking skills to see the physical connections between the ideas presented in class. I also enjoyed the teeter-totter method for preparing students to write a persuasive essay.