Usually we teach academic language by focusing on vocabulary. So what is “academic language” besides the “language of the classroom?” In validating a test to measure academic language, Uccelli, Galloway, Barr, Meneses, & Dobbs (2015) propose a more precise definition that includes morphologically complex words, understanding dense syntactic structures, resolution of pronoun reference (anaphors), and argumentative text organization.
We discuss various dimensions of academic language and suggest some ways to teach it in the classroom. Take a look at our Zotero library for full citations.
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