Common Core Ratchets Up Language Demands for English-Learners
This article describes how new content standards, such as the Common Core, are pushing for ELLs to speak “academic.” What does this mean? Academic language (also referred to as academic English), broadly defined, is the formal written and spoken language of classrooms and professional workspaces. While “no one is a speaker of academic English,” for ELLs, acquiring academic English is one of the highest bars they have to clear in order to be deemed proficient in English.
The author interviewed three national experts on English learners and instruction: Kate Kinsella, Aida Walqui, and Guadalupe Valdes. While there is some disagreement between experts on the use of the term academic language, these experts agree that for ELLs to be proficient in the school language, they need to be engaged in rigorous, academic practices (e.g., analysis, persuasion, comparison) in all content areas. Teachers, the experts stress, should be aware that knowing academic language is more than having correct language usage, like grammar, and that ELLs need multiple experiences and exposures in using the various forms and functions of academic language.
This is an informative article on how academic language is now at the forefront of instruction for ELLs (and other struggling students) because of the new standards. Generally, the concept of academic language makes sense, but the particulars are debated by experts. Therefore, a helpful feature included in this article is the sidebar information on the different ways academic language has been defined. A key point of the article is that teachers may not know enough about academic language to adequately instruct their students. The concern, then, is that language instruction is reduced to making students have correct grammar and vocabulary. The article helps inform educators on what academic language is, and what it is not. This article is part of a larger effort from Education Week on helping educators with their English learners, and it is linked to other collections of articles on the website, such as the Learning Language blog, Spotlight: Common Core for ELLs, and Moving Beyond the Mainstream.