GLAD’s Connection to Academic Language – Summary
Academic language, literacy, and discourse have finally hit the mainstream. It is
important for us, in GLAD, to be able to articulate how we address (and always have)
academic language. There are many new researchers who are refining their definition of
what academic language is, but I am reminded that this issue first came to our attention
with Jim Cummins, Chamot and O’Malley, in the early mid-eighties. I am sure many of
you can think of additional strategies that promote academic language through GLAD,
please feel free to add to the list.
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The training model:
Two-day workshop presents the research on the importance of highest
expectations for ability and learning compared to the deficit education that English
Learners have been receiving. There are strong ties between ELD and academic
language; which means language development should be a metagoal all day long. This is
taught, along with, the crucial role of academic discourse in language development.
Classroom demonstration: proves that their ELLs are capable of comprehending
and using academic language and discourse.

During the two-day workshop, training teachers in standards based instruction,
backwards planning, emphasizes the importance (GLAD does this with the Idea and
Planning Pages) of knowing ahead the English Language Arts skills, various types of
vocabulary, complex sentence structures. Knowing this allows for deliberate
teaching and practicing of the highest level of academic language.

Strategies taught and modeled:
1. Cognitive Content Dictionary: supports daily word study, using various tiers of
words, prediction, dictionary use, root words and origins, use in sentences, practiced
in groups, and individually. It also models academic dialogue through instructional
conversation.
2. Inquiry Chart: connects prior learning to new concepts and vocabulary. Assists
English Learners in making those important connections. Resent research in
cognitive and educational research is revealing how deeply language, cognition,
values, and culture are linked. This strategy helps connect those to the academic
literacy.
3. Pictorial Input Chart: ways of making the direct teaching of vocabulary and
concepts comprehensible to ELLs use of the 10/2 lecture style reinforces the brain
research and Vygotsky’s research of scaffolding, Swain/Long’s research on
negotiating for meaning and clarifying ideas.
4. Team Tasks: support the same research by allowing students to practice academic
language and discourse in a low effective environment. This also promotes use of
instructional dialogue.
5. In GLAD all listening/speaking and reading/writing skills are taught whole class,
practiced in teams, then produced individually, which also supports the
importance of scaffolding for successful use of academic language. The teacher
models metacognitive talk for the students.
6. Cooperative Strip Paragraph: a strategy that teaches academic, metacognitive
discussion of the most difficult part of successful academic literacy for our
ELLs-writing. Using standards-based, student-generated text, the teacher takes
students through the writing process and writing conventions. Complex sentence
structures, use of phrases and correct grammatical structures are only a part of the 6
Traits of Writing that are taught and practiced. Ways of using language that prevail
in school discourse (for example, ways of asking and answering questions,
challenging claims, and using representation) are frequently unfamiliar to English
language learners and other at-risk student. This is one strategy that models use of
academic discourse and can be used throughout the curriculum.
7. Sentence Patterning Chart (aka Farmer in the Dell): a strategy that, using brain
patterning, teaches a fluent English sentence pattern, parts of speech and meets 15
English Language Arts Standards. It can also be used to teach complex tenses
and uses (using a participle for a gerund, for example). Knowledge taught in a
variety of contexts also increases retention. This strategy can be used across the
content areas.
8. Language functional environment: an approach that immerses the students in
academic language and literacy to make up for the hundreds of hours of lack of
exposure to academic print in the home.
9. Use of the 10/2 and cooperative groups (other than in team tasks) to promote
academic discourse on the part of students.