Finding opportunities for building academic language
Comments(5) One thing I am not entirely sure about is how to effectively integrate academic language learning into less language intensive classes. For example, writing is crucial for students to generate more complex language and discipline their language usage, but it is probably not going to be a significant part of an IT class which I will be teaching next year. After reading chapter 9, I realized that there still other ways to facilitate students’ language building even if they don’t use as much language as they do in a class like English or Socials. Feedbacks, for instance, can definitely play an important part throughout an IT lesson. Assuming I am teaching students basics of spreadsheets, at the beginning of the class I might elicit answers from students regarding their previous experience with Excel or Google spreadsheet. Based on their answers I can ask them to explain in more detail in what kind of situation they used spreadsheet, what kind of functions they got to use, how using spreadsheets contributed to their end product, etc. As the class goes on, when I circulate around the classroom to monitor their progress, I will be able to engage in one on one conversation or talk to a small group. During these conversations I might ask them to explain certain functions they studied earlier, how they plan to use those functions, how they envision their final project, and other creative ways to utilize those functions. At the end of the class, I may ask different groups to present their progress (this also encourages them to be more academic through oral language) and provide positive feedback as to where they did really good. Meanwhile, I may also point out where they need improvement. During this process terminologies and glossaries are exchanged between my students and me. In conclusion, there are always possibilities of building academic language as long as we are constantly aware of its importance and try to find those opportunities.
I also struggle with this concept a bit in some of the courses I will be teaching. Many of the Home Economics courses are skills based, and although there are many theories involved in family studies and foods and nutrition classes, I find it challenging to include in activities that focus on language development for students in grade 8 textiles courses. Textiles 8 is part of a Life Skills 8 rotation course, and therefore only has approximately 13 class periods to complete a textiles project, which does not provide teachers with a lot of leniency with other activities. Rather than having specific activities added into the lessons I will have to have language support weaved into textiles activities in order to be able to cover required concepts in given time. For instance, when introducing the the different parts of a sewing machine, I can incorporate the activity where a sheet of paper is divided in to four, and have the students first write down the terminology, draw the machine part, put it in a sentence, and then write down garments/techniques that will require use of the part.
I also agree with you that one on one time may be beneficial and very fitting for skills based courses. Students will need individual times to practice and work on the techniques they are learning in class, and by going around to support them with their work teachers can verbally use mortar and brick words and support students language development this way.
I will also be teaching textiles 8 as one of my courses during the extended practicum. One of the ways that I am thinking of introducing language because as mentioned, time is limited and with it being an applied skills course, it is not as writing intensive as the core courses is having students teach each other. During the Home-Ec conference in one of the workshops I attended, the teacher said that she teaches a group of students how to thread the machine and then students have to teach someone else how to thread the machine. The person who they taught must successfully demonstrate that they are able to thread the machine for the person who taught them to pass. Students can practice using vocabulary when teaching teach other and the skill as well. To further encourage the use of specific terms (because students can get away with teaching the skill to their partner and not use the term at all), is to give them the list of terms that we want them to learn and say that they must use the terms when teaching their partner. I also agree with you both that one on one time with the student can be our opportunity to develop these language skills. During a lab when making our rounds we can have some questions prepared for each student to answer about what they are doing and why. Key terms should be used for responses and it will be a chance to check for understanding as well as provide opportunity for students to practice their speaking skills.
Similar to all of you, integrating academic language into my physical education classroom has been a big struggle for me throughout this course. Of all of the subject, I think physical education is one that is the least associated with academics and academic language, which makes finding examples and ways to incorporate in into my classroom sparse. Even the Zwiers textbook rarely, if at all uses subjects like P.E and Home Ec in its examples, which has been frustrating. However, creating the lesson plans for this binder project has made find ways to incorporate P.E specific academic language in a variety of contexts. Some examples I have come up with are: chalk talk that simply involves discussing key terminology and decoding it using synonyms and using it in a sentence. As P.E teachers, we use a lot of cue words as we breakdown movement to highlight the importance aspects, as well as use it to remind the students what their tasks. Freezing actions and asking critical questions about positioning and movement can also help students understand what the concept is so that they can better use in their classroom language. P.E is all about movement and if they can understand how a specific term or concept looks (visually) they are more likely to understand the language that is tied to it. Lastly, I think for me personally, not being so concerned about stopping the activity and giving them more discussion and teamwork activities like watching videos and describing the play or movement and working through written scenarios could be really useful.
Personally, I believe every subject has its opportunities and disadvantages when trying to incorporate academic writing into their curriculum. Subjects such as P.E. or Home Economics might even serve to be the most difficult subjects. However, one thing I’ve noticed in ALL forms of education courses is the opportunity to increase linguistic capita. Each subject has its own distinct bank of words that can be beneficial on an interdisciplinary basis. If students in P.E. understands how to use language to describe how a certain sport is played they may be able to apply that type of linguistic capital in another subject such as English when the teacher asks them to relate a real life experience with a novel they’re studying. The same could be applied to any other less language intensive courses–such as home ec.
With this reiteration, I fully support your argument and love the way how you used an example of an IT situation to incorporate academic writing.
My teaching area is social studies which DO require active academic writing in the form of essays usually. Therefore, my main focus is the quality of the essay which usually skews towards teaching students how to provide stronger arguments in persuasive writing.
I think this way would be effective in helping students use more academic language. Above all, education demands the involvement of the teacher. If a teacher wants to see something happen that teacher will have to work to make it happen! A personal involvement with students builds trust and helps teachers achieve academic goals.