Angela Martin, Title III ESOL Instructional

Coach ES
Avery Elementary

Acquiring
Academic
Language
What does Academic Language Instruction
currently look like in your classroom?
Today’s Objectives
Content Objectives: What?
1. Identify the Academic Language (Tier 2 and 3 Vocabulary) of our
standards.

Language Objectives: How?

1. Discuss the benefits of vocabulary scaffolds and interactive strategy
instruction in acquiring academic language.
 BICS vs. CALP
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.e
du/module/ell/cresource/q1/p02
/
 How do we
explicitly teach
content language
to all students and
support the
academic language
acquisition of all
subjects for our
English Learners?
 Tier 2 words
12 Powerful Words (Tier 2 words)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE59sLjNVxs

Something to consider…if “math is a universal

language”, then why are English Learners struggling in
Math classes?
The problem with math is ENGLISH!
We are ALL Academic Language Teachers
Lift the Language from your standards!
Tier 1: Common, Known Words

Examples: big, small, house, table, family

Tier 2: High-Frequency Words (aka Cross-

Curricular Vocabulary)

Examples: justify, explain, expand,

predict, summarize, maintain

Tier 3: Low-Frequency, Domain-Specific

words

Examples: isotope, tectonic plates,

carcinogens, mitosis, lithosphere
Lift the Language from your standards!
Think Brick and Mortar Words
Can you explain the bricks
without the mortar?
But…….HOW do we Accelerate Academic
Language Acquisition for English Learners
(and ALL Learners)?

Relative Retention Activity

 Relative Rentention

90%

70%

50%

30%
20%
10%
1

Read Hear See Hear, See Read, Say Read, Say, Do

From The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills by J. Saphier & R. Gower, p.233. Copyright 2009 by
Research for Better Teaching
 Let’s do the Math
On average…..
• Teachers talk 80% of the time
• Students talk 12% of the time
In a one hour period……
• Teachers will talk 48 minutes.
• Students (as the class) will talk for 12 minutes
• If a teacher calls on 30 students one at a time in a one hour period,
each student practices academic language for about 24 seconds.
Planning for Vocabulary Think SWIRL
Interaction

Reading
Writing Listening
 See it, Say it!
Speaking/Reading
I Have, Who Has to USE the terms in
Choral Reading to Introduce Terms conversations

Start I have analyze.

I have trace. Who Who has the word
has the word that that means read
means to break it between the lines?
down?

I have infer.
Who has the word that
means to judge?

Scaffolded Instruction
Scaffolded Instruction

KIM Vocabulary Journal

Scaffolded Instruction

Make the Vocabulary Visual

Concept Definition Map Four Corners Vocabulary
Scaffolded Instruction

Vocabulary Foldables
 Writing and Speaking with Math Language Frames!
My answer is __________ because __________.
Another way to solve this would be __________.
The solid figure is a __________ because it has __________
vertices, __________ edges and __________ faces.
My answer is __________. This answer is reasonable because
__________.”
In order to solve this problem, I need to know __________.
Describe the process: First, I __________ (step/process). Then,
I __________ (step/processes). Next, I __________. Finally, I
__________.
The __________ is a polygon because __________.

Differentiate for ELs

• Provide a word/phrase/visual bank.
• Visuals for ordered steps or flow chart
• Partner Writing
Illustrating: Vocabulary Visuals and Using COLOR in Math!
Academic Language
Interaction
Talking Chips
1. Have students get into groups of 4 or 5.
2. Give everyone one or two manipulatives (paper clip, colored
chip, or checker).
3. Give students a topic or question to discuss.
4. Have students hold onto their manipulatives until it is their turn
to contribute to the discussion. Once the student contributes
his or her thought, he or she should place the manipulative
(aka “chip”) in the middle of the table.
5. They may not take a second turn during the discussion until
everyone’s manipulative is placed in the middle of the table.
6. The process can be repeated for the next question/prompt.
Academic Language
Interaction
Dominoes Discussion
Each group member gets an equal amount of dominoes
Highest number domino begins by placing the domino and
sharing a main idea or concept from the lesson.
Other group members take turns by placing dominoes and
sharing key ideas or understandings from the
lesson/content.

Variations:
Have students write the ideas shared as an Exit Ticket.
Have students repeat the idea of the person before them
before sharing their own idea.
 So, where do I start?
Lift the language from your next set of standards
(Remember Tier 2 and 3)
Choose ONE strategy that includes one or more of the
SWIRL Domains.
Think about when it is appropriate to teach the
strategy? How will you use it in an ongoing manner to
formatively assess?
Use the strategy each week (daily/weekly) so students
have plenty of practice and can begin applying the
strategy to other lessons.

Keep your strategy uses purposeful, meaningful, and

structured.
 Lift the Language from your standards…..start here!
Highlight
• Tier 2 words in blue
• Tier 3 words in yellow

ELAGSE1RI6: Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and

information provided by the words in a text.
ELAGSE3RI6: Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.

MGES4.NF.7: Compare two decimals to hundredths by reasoning about their size. Recognize that
comparisons are valid only when the two decimals refer to the same whole. Record the results
of the comparisons with the symbols <, =, or >, and justify the conclusions, e.g. by using a visual
model.

Prioritize
Which Tier 2 and 3 words and phrases are ESSENTIAL? How do I teach them in the
context of the Standards?
 Lift the Language from your standards…..start here!
Highlight
• Tier 2 words in blue
• Tier 3 words in yellow

VAK.CR.2b: Use pictures to tell a story.

PE3.6: Chooses to participate in partner or team activities. (example-works with a partner to

develop passing skills).

M1GM.6a: Distinguish between contrasts (pitch, dynamics, tempo, timbre) in various pieces of
music.

Prioritize
Which Tier 2 and 3 words and phrases are ESSENTIAL? How do I teach them in the
context of the Standards?
Let’s Review and Assess:
Content Objectives: What?
1. Identify the language of Tier 2 and 3 Vocabulary from standards.

Language Objectives: How?

1. Discuss the benefits of vocabulary scaffolds and interactive strategy
instruction in acquiring academic language.