Use Resource 1.1 to gain insight into the potential of academic language use during instructional planning. This tool can also be considered as a springboard for conversations with grade-level teams or as a means to compare the variety of contexts in which your students learn. Don’t forget that the icon of the two puzzle pieces coming together signifies that a blank template has been included at the end of the chapter for your personal use.
Resource 1.1 Factors Impacting Language Use in Academic Contexts
Use this tool to reflect and discuss with others the various factors impacting academic language use during teaching and learning.
Language Features in Key Uses
In the previous section, we explained how the purpose for communication is one of the factors that impact academic language use. As we move through the various chapters of this book, we will continue to come back to this point through key uses of academic language. We propose specific key uses to enhance the academic language development of students in meaningful and relevant ways. In addition, we encourage you to reflect on and consider the sociocultural context in which interaction occurs. Part of being intentional about academic language use is identifying and being aware of DARE throughout the school day. In this section, we expand on the definitions of each key use of academic language and include specific examples of its features.
Discuss
Discuss, the D in DARE, highlights the importance of oral language development and social interaction in learning, to reinforce its role in literacy development, and to acknowledge its presence in academic content standards. Research has shown that proficiency in oral language provides children with a vital tool for thought and that structured oral language supports students’ thinking processes (Bruner, 1983). As shown in Figure 1.5, oral discussions in classrooms may occur among students or between students and teachers around specific tasks.
Participation in these tasks alone is not enough to develop students’ oral language. It is critical that educators make explicit the norms of working with partners or small groups. For some ELLs, for example, having access to the language needed to agree or disagree with others or to elaborate on others’ ideas is a precursor to their participation in English-medium classrooms.
Figure 1.5 Examples of Oral Discussions
Promoting oral language development requires designing instruction around engaging content. This can be achieved by posing big questions that do not have easy answers yet provide opportunities for meaningful discussions, reading, and writing (Lesaux, 2012). Here are some ideas on how to achieve meaningful discussions:
Select rich, complex texts that serve as platforms for learning
Offer topic and language choices to students
Engage in conversations about the impact of language choices
Create spaces and design activities that engage students in collaborative learning in authentic situations
Be creative and provide a variety of interactive activities, such as demonstrations, displays, debates, and role-plays
Take the DARE
Evaluate the effectiveness of the activities for a unit of study. How might you make these activities more interactive? What language resources are available for students to meaningfully participate? What opportunities exist to engage students in conversations about language use? How might you group students to support each other’s language use in English and for ELLs from the same language background to allow their home language use to clarify or extend their learning?
Resource 1.2 is a record of students’ individual contributions to discussions. You may change the features you wish to monitor once students consistently use the listed language strategies. You might also consider having different checklists for different groups of students.
Resource 1.2 Monitoring Language Use During Group Discussions
Check the specific language strategies that each student uses to contribute to the discussion. Make sure the students are aware of the strategies and have practiced them in previous discussions.
Date: _________________ ☑ Small-group discussion ☐ Class discussion
Topic: Discussion on Ch. 1–2 of The Giver
Notes:
Next time, I should pair Diego with another Spanish speaker, so he feels more comfortable.
Resource 1.3 is another tool that can be used as a source for discussion, in particular, to provide background information on particular topics and spark conversations among students.
Resource 1.3 Resources for Promoting Discussions
One way to get students ready to discuss a topic is for them to do research, read specific resources, or watch movies together. Watching a video or movie, such as those associated with each topic of BrainPOP®, provides visual support and reinforcement for all students, including students who may have learning disabilities, students with interrupted formal education, or those who are in the process of developing English as an additional language.
Scan the QR code that leads to the BrainPOP® website. “Nutrition” is a featured movie that provides basic information related to healthful eating. After watching the movie, provide students with guiding questions, such as those below, that they can discuss in pairs or small groups.
Source: BrainPOP®, https://www.brainpop.com/health/nutrition/nutrition
Remember to be explicit about how students are to participate and contribute to the discussion. Later, the students might try to tackle the informational text on nutritional guidelines, such as those in the opening pages of the book.
Guiding Questions for Discussion About Nutrition
What are some things that contribute to good nutrition? Why would you choose these?
How do you balance what is nutritious and what is delicious?
How might you plan a nutritious meal? What would you have to eat?
What are some changes you can do or propose to others to make good choices related to nutrition?
As another way to encourage discussion of the guiding questions, direct students to the Make-a-Map® feature of BrainPOP’s Nutrition topic. In pairs, ask students to discuss how they might answer one of the guiding questions in a concept map, and have