Common Language Tasks for Academic Success ACADEMIC LANGUAGE

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Academic Language Functions

• Common Language Tasks for Academic Success

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Academic Language Gap
Mommy, Whats that?
California Academy of Science in Golden Gate
Park 25 admission for Adults 15 (ages 7-11) 20
(ages 12-17) 0r 150 family membership
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From Cal Academy of science website
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IPhone or ipad at the museum
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Elements of Academic Language
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From the Web site

• Cal Academy of Science Pendulum

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Academic Language

• What would you like for kids to be able to think,
  say or write about the concepts you taught in any
  given lesson?

What did you learn at school today? These
conversations may not be happening (in English)
at the homes of many of our Long-Term English
Learners
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Precise and Academic Vocabulary

• Rachel from Glee
• Verbal
• Precocious
• Confident

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It was rude for the Soviets to go into
Afghanistan

• Long-Term English Learner
• Right idea
• Social and imprecise language
• impoverished vocabulary
• Confident in social settings
• Shy in academic settings

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It was rude for the Soviets to go into
Afghanistan

• According to Repairable Harm, the language used
  by many of our Long-Term English Learners is a
  social, imprecise language
• May seem fluent in social situations
• May have been reclassified
• Usually in mainstream classes
• Sometimes receive double-block (slower and louder
  version)

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A few Things I dont Like to Talk about

• Rachel might be annoying, but she has a much
  better chance of experiencing academic success
  than Luisa
• I am much more like Rachel than I care to admit
• I reward students who use academic language (even
  in the absence of sound thinking)
• I struggle with differentiating for students who
  need more academic language instruction in
  heterogeneous classrooms
• I do a much better job with homogenous classrooms
  such as a SDAIE or ELD class.
• Academic Language is a saleable skill. Its
  difficult to teach and the materials are not
  readily available
• I spend so much time producing and enhancing
  materials that Im sometimes not that great when
  it comes time to execute a lesson.

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Goals for session

• Familiarize participants with the Sophisticated
  Language Functions in Improving Education for
  English Learners by CDE
• Model the language functions using a
  professional, adult academic problem
• Provide models on how to design language tasks
  that require the use of the sophisticated
  language functions
• Provide models of academic writing, sentence
  frames and language objectives
• Demonstrate a tool for identifying academic
  vocabulary
• Share materials appropriate for adolescents and
  useful in the classroom
• Provide an opportunity to practice and share
• Create an opportunity for continued collaboration
  and sharing of materials.

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Sophisticated Language functions

• In Improving Education for English Learners,
  Saunders and Goldenberg provide a list of some of
  these sophisticated language functions
• argue persuasively for or against a point of view
• analyze, compare, and contrast
• evaluate alternative points of view and factual
  information
• justify a point of view or to debate different
  points of view
• synthesize and integrate information
• follow or give complex directions
• hypothesize about the causal relationship between
  events
• justify a prediction, as in a science experiment
• present a logical argument
• question an explanation (50-51)

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Sample Academic ProblemTeacher incentive Pay
study

• Vanderbilt University conducted a three-year
  study in Nashville schools
• Math teachers in grades 5 through 8 offered
  bonuses (5k, 10K and 15K for making annual
  test score targets (Average teacher salary
  40-50K)
• 300 Teachers volunteered and were randomly
  assigned to a control group (no bonuses) or
  experimental group(eligible for bonus).
• No significant differences between the two groups
  (no other factors were examined, such as
  professional development)
• President Obama and Secretary Duncan support such
  incentive plans (Race to the Top)

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Sample Academic ProblemTeacher incentive Pay

• Daniel Pink (author)
• Drive The Surprising Truth about what Motivates
  Us
• A Whole New Mind Why Right Brainers will Rule
  the Future
• RSA Animations
• You Tube Video

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Process for Creating Questions and writing
responses

• Start with the Language Functions and try to
  write a question for each
• I use several resources to help me identify the
  kinds of question words that are associated with
  the different functionsbut mostly I just used my
  own experience!
• I write a response to the question using my own
  academic vocabulary (we all have one or we
  wouldnt be here!) I try to keep the responses
  between 75-125 words depending on the task.

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Process for Identifying Vocabulary

• Cut and paste my response into wordsift.com

Identifies all of the words in the text that are
included in the General Academic Vocabulary List
(Mortar)
Select AWL for Academic Word List
These words will appear green in my responses
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Process for Identifying Vocabulary

• Cut and paste my response into wordsift.com

Identifies all of the words in the text that are
included in the Robert Marzano lists (Bricks)
These words will appear red in my responses
Select each of the content areas
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Argue persuasively for or against a point of
view

• Why should schools offer incentive pay to
  teachers for student performance on state tests?
• Why should schools not offer incentive pay to
  teachers for student performance on state tests?

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Analyze, compare and contrast

• Compare and contrast the types of tasks in the
  studies cited by Pink and the impact of financial
  rewards for levels of performance.
• In his book Drive, Daniel Pink presents two case
  studies that demonstrate the reverse impact of
  financial rewards as a motivator for even the
  most rudimentary, cognitive tasks. College
  students at MIT and workers in rural India were
  offered financial rewards with increasing value
  for better performance on both mechanical and
  slightly complex tasks. In both studies,
  participants offered higher incentives performed
  better on the straight-forward and mechanical
  tasks. However, in both the MIT and the India
  study, participants offered higher incentives for
  better performance on tasks that required any
  complexity whatsoever performed worse than those
  offered smaller incentives. Thus, the incentive
  worked for simple tasks, whereas higher
  financial incentives had a negative effect on
  tasks that required any cognitive complexity.

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Analyze, compare and contrast

• Compare and contrast the incentive studies at MIT
  and in rural India?

Sentence Frame with significant assistance
In his book Drive, Daniel Pink presents two
case studies that demonstrate ____________________
__________. College students at MIT and workers
in rural India were offered ______________________
__________. In both studies, participants
offered higher incentives performed better on
____________________________. However, in both
the MIT and the India study, participants offered
higher incentives for better performance on tasks
that required ____________________ performed
worse than _____________. Thus, the incentive
worked for _____________, whereas _______________.
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Analyze, compare and contrast

• Compare and contrast the incentive studies at MIT
  and in rural India?

Language Objective To analyze by comparing and
contrasting information using signal words such
as both, however and whereas. Academic
vocabulary may include presents, demonstrate,
rural, participants, study, incentives
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Evaluate alternative points of view and factual
information

• Why is this research significant?

The findings of the Vanderbilt University
study are significant because they raise
questions about policy and practices that are
being encouraged by top education officials.
Criteria for educational funding under No Child
Left Behind have included a research-based
component to any proposed plan. The Department
of Educations latest program, Race to the Top
includes incentive programs such as paying
bonuses to teachers for improved student
performance. This recent research suggests that
this is a questionable practice and to continue
to encourage states to adopt a failed practice is
both hypocritical and irresponsible. If the
Federal Government is going to include guidelines
such as research-based practices, then it is
necessary that it adhere to similar criteria.
Furthermore, in troubled economic times, it is
irresponsible to simply give money away to
teachers when there is little or no value added
to student academic performance. (142 words)
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Evaluate alternative points of view and factual
information

• Why is this research significant?

Sentence Frame with minimal assistance w/word
bank
The findings of the Vanderbilt University study
are significant because ________________.
_(elaborate)__________________. This recent
research suggests that __________________. If
___________, then _______________. Furthermore,
_________________. (142 words)
Academic Vocabulary Policy Practices Component Pr
ograms Performance Criteria value
Related Ideas No Child Left Behind Race To The
Top Federal Government
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Evaluate alternative points of view and factual
information

• Why is this research significant?

Language Objective Evaluating alternative points
of view by establishing criteria and using an
ifthen statement. Academic Vocabulary may
include study, questions, policy, component,
programs, performance, Federal Government,
criteria, similar, furthermore and value.
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Hypothesize about causal relationship between
events

• What factors may have contributed to the failure
  to improve test scores by paying teachers
  bonuses?

Several factors may have contributed to the
failure to improve test scores by paying bonuses
to teachers. One possibility is that the
teachers in the experimental group knew that they
had nothing to lose by joining the study and
simply proceeded to teach using the same
strategies as years past. They may have hoped
that there would be improvement and therefore
receive the incentive but did not make the
necessary adjustments to their practice. As a
result, no improvement in test scores occurred.
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Hypothesize about causal relationship between
events

• What factors may have contributed to the failure
  to improve test scores by paying teachers
  bonuses?

Sentence frame with minimal assistance w/verb
tense
Several factors may have contributed to
_________________________. One possibility is
that ___________________. They may have (Past
participle)______________________. As a result
_____________. (83 words)  
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Hypothesize about causal relationship between
events

• What factors may have contributed to the failure
  to improve test scores by paying teachers
  bonuses?

Language Objective Hypothesize about causal
relationship between events using may have past
participle and as a result. Academic
Vocabulary may include factors, contributed,
experimental, strategies, study, proceeded,
adjustments, incentive.
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Justify a prediction

• Based on the research of Daniel Pink and the
  Vanderbilt University study, how might schools
  improve teacher performance? Give reasons to
  support your position.

According to Daniel Pinks research, if schools
respect teachers desire for autonomy, mastery
and purpose, there should be an improvement in
their performance. Pinks research says that
human beings thrive when provided an opportunity
to be self-directed and engaged in work that is
interesting to them. Based upon this idea,
teachers should be provided an opportunity to
work on projects that matter to them and
collaborate with those with whom they choose to
work. For example, if teachers were required,
like at Google or Apache, to spend time working
on something other than grading papers and
planning for tomorrows lessons, the kind of
innovation that will truly improve their practice
may occur. (112 words)
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Justify a prediction

• Based on the research of Daniel Pink and the
  Vanderbilt University study, how might schools
  improve teacher performance? Give reasons to
  support your position.

Sentence frame with some assistance w/hedging
language
According to Daniel Pinks research, if
________________, there should be ____________.
Pinks research says that ________________.
Based upon this idea, teachers should be provided
an opportunity to __________________. For
example, if teachers were ______________, then
___________ may occur. (112 words)
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Justify a prediction

• Based on the research of Daniel Pink and the
  Vanderbilt University study, how might schools
  improve teacher performance? Give reasons to
  support your position.

Language Objective Make a prediction using
ifthen, should be, and may occur and
justify using language such as Pinks research
says, Based upon this idea and for example.
Academic vocabulary may include research,
autonomy, performance, idea, projects, matter,
example, innovation.
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Follow or Give Complex Directions

• Describe the study at Vanderbilt University in
  chronological order.

First, Nashville math teachers in grades 5
through 8 were invited to participate in a
three-year experiment where they could be
rewarded bonuses of 5000, 10,000 or 15,000 for
achieving annual test score targets. Next,
approximately 300 teachers volunteered and
researchers randomly assigned half of the
participants to a control group ineligible for
the bonuses and the other half to an experimental
group that could receive bonuses if their
students reached certain benchmarks. Throughout
the study, no additional factors like
professional development or mentoring were
introduced to participants. In the end,
researchers found that there was no discernable
difference in the performance of those in the
experimental group with those in the control
group.
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Follow or Give Complex Directions

• Describe the study at Vanderbilt University in
  chronological order.

Sentence frame with medium assistance w/sequence
words
First, Nashville math teachers in grades 5
through 8 were __________________. Next,
approximately 300 teachers volunteered and half
of the_____________ to a control group ineligible
for the bonuses and the other half
__________________. Throughout the study,
___________________. In the end, researchers
found that ________________________.
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Follow or Give Complex Directions

• Describe the study at Vanderbilt University in
  chronological order.

Language Objective Follow and give complex
directions by using sequence words such as first,
next, throughout, in the end. Academic vocabulary
may include participate, experiment, achieve,
annual, targets, approximately, volunteer,
researchers, random, assign, control, benchmarks,
factors, professional, participants.
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Synthesize and Integrate Information

• How does the research of Daniel Pink explain the
  results of the Vanderbilt University study?

Daniel Pinks research on motivation explains the
failure of financial rewards for teachers as a
means for improving student academic performance.
According to Pink, financial incentives may work
for rudimentary or mechanical tasks however once
the task becomes more complex, like teaching,
financial rewards actually have a negative
impact. While this seems contrary to
conventional thinking about the impact of rewards
on performance, Pinks work suggests that workers
respond better to intrinsic motivation such as
the opportunity to be self-directed, to master
their craft and to be guided by a purpose that
matters to them. In the Vanderbilt University
study, teachers in the experimental group where a
financial reward was made available performed no
better than those in the control group with no
such reward. Based on Pinks research, the money
would be better spent raising the salaries of all
teachers to a point where they no longer worry
about money and providing a work atmosphere that
values autonomy, mastery and purpose for all. In
doing so, the kind of innovation that will truly
impact student learning will occur. (180 words)
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Synthesize and Integrate Information

• How does the research of Daniel Pink explain the
  results of the Vanderbilt University study?

Sentence frame with significant assistance
w/placeholders for content
Daniel Pinks research on motivation explains
_____________________. According to Pink,
financial incentives may work for
_______________ however ______________. While
this seems contrary to conventional thinking
about __________________, Pinks work suggests
that workers respond better to intrinsic
motivation such as _______(1)________,
_______(2)________ and _________ (3)_______. In
the Vanderbilt University study, teachers in the
experimental group ________________. Based on
Pinks research, the money would be better spent
_________________. In doing so, ______________
will occur. (180 words)
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Synthesize and Integrate Information

• How does the research of Daniel Pink explain the
  results of the Vanderbilt University study?

Language Objective Synthesize and integrate
information using attributive tags such as
Pinks research explains.., According to
Pink, Pinks work suggests, and In the
Vanderbilt Study. Academic vocabulary may
include performance, academic, tasks, complex,
financial, impact, conventional, motivation,
study, research, values.
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Present a logical argument

• Companies like Google and Atlassian give
  employees time to work on new projects in order
  to encourage innovation. Make an argument for or
  against such a strategy in schools.

Schools should create opportunities for
innovation in a manner similar to those of
successful corporations such as Google and
Atlassian by providing teachers time away from
the typical duties to work on meaningful projects
that will result in better teaching and improved
student performance. Many of Googles most
successful applications were developed during a
mandatory free period where employees must
explore a new idea and work with people who have
a similar interest. As a result, Google employees
launched Google Earth and Google Docs, securing
Googles position as the most used website on the
web. If teachers were provided with similar
opportunities, perhaps new interventions could be
created that would result in fewer students
needing expensive programs like ELD and summer
school. By investing in these opportunities for
teachers to be self-directed, masters of their
craft with purpose and conviction, the Google
Earth of education could emerge. (147 words)
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Present a logical argument

• Companies like Google and Atlassian give
  employees time to work on new projects in order
  to encourage innovation. Make an argument for or
  against such a strategy in schools.

Sentence frame with minimal assistance w/
directions for including types of information
Schools should create opportunities for
innovation in a manner similar to those of ______
by _____(what should they do)_____ because
__(reason)________. ___(provide an example of
how this works in business)___________ As a
result, ______(what happens in business)_________.
If teachers were provided with similar
opportunities, __________(what might happen in
schools give an example)_____.
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Present a logical argument

• Companies like Google and Atlassian give
  employees time to work on new projects in order
  to encourage innovation. Make an argument for or
  against such a strategy in schools.

Language Objective Present a logical argument
that includes claim language such as
____should____because____ and as a result.
Academic vocabulary may include create,
corporations, projects, result, applications,
interventions, similar, investing, emerge, purpose
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Question an explanation

• In response to the Vanderbilt study, Eric
  Hanushek of Stanford Universitys Hoover
  Institute says that the study did not address the
  main goal of incentives who stays and who
  leaves the teaching profession. The biggest
  role of incentives has to do with the selection
  of who enters and who stays in teachingi.e., how
  incentives change the teaching corps through
  entrances and exits, Hanushek said. I have
  always thought that the effort effects were small
  relative to the potential for getting different
  teachers. Their study has nothing to say about
  this more important issue? (Washington Post)
  What is Hanuschek suggesting about the way in
  which financial incentives are intended to work?
  Do you agree? Why or why not?

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General Academic Vocabulary Used in Responses (50
words)
Demonstrate Reverse Impact Financial Tasks Partici
pants Straight-forward Incentives Complexity Polic
y Component Federal Similar Furthermore
Factors Contribute Proceed Strategies Incentive Ad
justments Research Projects Innovation Occur Parti
cipate Achieve Annual Target
Approximately Volunteer Researchers Randomly Assig
n Professional Participant Academic
Tasks Complex Financial Impact Conventional
Motivation Research Innovation
Create Corporations Interventions Invest
Emerge
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Content-Specific Academic Vocabulary (21 words)
Presents Workers Rural Mechanical Study Questions
Programs Performance Government Value Experimental

Autonomy Idea Matter Example Experiment Control Be
nchmarks Result Applications Purpose
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What do kids need to do this?

• They need to be exposed to interesting topics
  that will give them something to say (Edge,
  Whats Happening, Word Generation.)
• They need direct instruction in the
  content-specific academic vocabulary (Marzano
  six-step program)
• They need direct instruction in general academic
  vocabulary words (Kate Kinsella method)
• They need well-designed language tasks
  (questions, topics) that provide practice in all
  of the sophisticated language functions
  (Improving Education for English Learners)
• They need language frames for assistance with the
  language functions (Susana Dutro)
• They need multiple opportunities to orally
  practice academic language (Jeff Zwiers)
• They need interesting projects that allow them to
  use language in meaningful ways

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Sample Material from the web

• Word Generation from SERP (Strategic Educational
  Research Partnership)
• 72 units that invite students to Join The
  National Conversation, designed as a
  middle-school intervention due to insufficient
  academic vocabularies
• Designed to be taught by all content-area
  teachers (Language Arts, Math, Science and Social
  Studies) throughout the week
• High interest topics begin with a short article
  that introduces the topic and usually presents
  both sides of the issue
• Five General Academic Vocabulary words are
  introduced and can be explicitly taught
• Math problem concerning the topic and using the
  vocabulary words
• Science thought-experiment
• Social Studies debate
• Short essay that answers the question

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Sample Unit from word generation Risky Behavior
Cyberbullying Sample Unit
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Sample unit from Word generationRisky Behavior
http//wordgeneration.org/PDFdownloads/WG1-2studen
tbook-pages.pdf
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Sample unit from word generationRisky Behavior
http//wordgeneration.org/PDFdownloads/WG1-2studen
tbook-pages.pdf
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Word bank terrible fattening expensive delicious
inedible disgusting nutritious
Word bank excited frightened nervous embarrassed
jealous
Use vocabulary program that I learned from Kate
Kinsella in workshops.
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Vocabulary Notebook
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Word bank homework friends bullying a test
Word bank flirting..others cheating...another
girl fighting ...her best friend smoking...his
friends
All of this information is available to you
online. I also have them in SMART notebook slides
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Word bank tired unprepared nervous new confused
Word bank help educate take care of feed protect
serve
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Word bank information experience time knowledge u
nderstanding
Word bank assist help protect save
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Word bank touch push kiss shove whistle at
Word bank pushing whistling at touching swearing
at discriminating against
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Vocabulary Notebook
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Vocabulary notebook
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Vocabulary notebook
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Vocabulary notebook
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Test practice
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Practice with sophisticated Language Functions

• Find a partner at your table
• You will be given a Sophisticated Language
  Function
• Create a question or prompt that will require
  students to use your assigned sophisticated
  language function. The question can be about any
  one or combination of the Risky Behavior Word
  Generation Prompts
• Write a highly academic response (75-125 words)
  to the prompt (collaborate). Try to use several
  of the focus words from the units.
• Using your response, create a sentence frame
  using the samples from Teacher Incentives(any
  level of assistance). No word count.
• Create a language objective using the samples
  from Teacher Incentives

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Homework (If Interested!)

• In groups of three interested participants,
  select one of the themes from the Word Generation
  themes that Ive grouped together. (one theme per
  group)
• Each participant should select a unit from the
  theme and
• Register for Word Generation by e-mailing
  mellinger_at_serpinstitute.org . You will then be
  invited to join the collaborative workspace at
  onehub.com. Download your unit.
• Create a vocabulary PowerPoint and vocabulary
  notebook (you can use my templates) using the
  focus words for your unit
• Share your materials with your partners
• Divide the language functions and create
  questions/prompts, sample responses, language
  frames and language objectives.
• Place unit in the Word Generation workspace
  (Onehub) and share with colleagues.