The edTPA and Teaching
Academic Language
Susan Ranney, Ph.D. University of Minnesota
Workshop in Syracuse , NY, August 2013
Goals for today




Explore the uses and features of academic language
Develop understandings of edTPA terms about academic
language
Examine the edTPA requirements for identifying academic
language demands and supports
Explore strategies and resources for identifying and
teaching academic language
(c) Susan Ranney
What associations do you have with
academic language?
(c) Susan Ranney
Language has registers to fit different
contexts.

Academic

Everyday
(c) Susan Ranney
Partner activities for today

Please use this
opportunity to talk to
people you know AND
people from other
institutions. During the
give one/get one, move
around and talk to three
people, including at least
two you don’t already
know.





Make a note with a
timesheet of partners:
9:00 partner
12:00 partner
3:00 partner
Be ready to move and
meet with each different
person at various points
of the workshop.
(c) Susan Ranney
Give one/Get one activity


Directions: For each of the samples of speech on page 1
of the handout, decide whether you would classify it as
"academic" or "everyday" language. Make notes about
why you chose that category. (what makes it sound
academic or not?) When you've gone through the list, get
up and find a partner. "Give" one of your choices and
reasons and then "get" one of the partner's choices and
reasons. Work together to develop "translations" for the
items. If you classified something as everyday language,
how might you say it in a more academic way? If it was
academic, how might you say it in an everyday way?
Make note of any new or different ideas.
(c) Susan Ranney
Classroom management

Please work efficiently and pay attention to timing and
cues to move on to another person.

When you hear the cue to come together, move on or
come to your seat again.
(c) Susan Ranney
Reflect on what students know and need to
know

Which of those texts
would students in your
class understand?

Which of those texts
would students in your
class be able to produce?

Which of them might your
students need to
understand or produce?
(c) Susan Ranney
How can content teachers become language
teachers?

Teachers have implicit knowledge of academic language

With some added awareness and attention, they can
notice what students need

Language supports can be built into content lessons to
enhance them rather than draw away time from content
(c) Susan Ranney
Student voice (from Melanie Hundley)
 School
is where you go to learn
a secret language but they don’t
tell you that it’s there. You have
to figure it out on your own. It’s
like an initiation to a secret club.
Maya, 8th grade.
(c) SCALE 2012
Student Voices
What makes language sound academic?
Everyday language
 Shorter and incomplete
sentences
Academic Language
 Longer and more complex
sentences

Actions through verbs (cut
down trees)

Make actions into nouns to
build concepts (deforestation)

More active voice (How much
pizza did they eat?)

Passive voice more common
(How much pizza was eaten?)

Shorter noun phrases (healthy
food…)

Long noun phrases (Improving
the nutritional quality of foods
offered from other sources…)
(c) Susan Ranney
Teaching technique: Translating between
academic and everyday language

As you teach, stop and
engage students in
translating between
academic language and
everyday language. Help
them to see different ways
of saying the same thing
and different purposes for
saying things differently.
(c) Susan Ranney
Teaching through sentence matching

Directions: Have students draw lines to match the
sentences on the left with equivalent meanings on the
right. Discuss the features that make them different and
the contexts where each may be used.

Try out the activity. What kinds of differences do you see
between the two sides?

How could you use this activity in your teaching?
(c) Susan Ranney
Teaching technique: Sentence matching
A lot of artists at that
time painted pictures of
city life.

Urban scenes were
popular among artists of
the era.
The ice caps are starting to
melt because the earth is
getting warmer.

The melting of the ice
caps is a result of global
warming.

(c) Susan Ranney
Another Definition of Academic Language
• “..academic language is the set of words,
grammar, and organizational strategies used to
describe complex ideas, higher order thinking
processes, and abstract concepts.”
• (Zwiers, J. (2008). p. 20)
(c) Susan Ranney
Definitions
• “..academic language is the set of words,
grammar, and organizational strategies
used to describe complex ideas, higher
order thinking processes, and abstract
concepts.”
• (Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language, p. 20)
(c) Susan Ranney
Definitions
• “..academic language is the set of words,
grammar, and organizational strategies
used to describe complex ideas, higher
order thinking processes, and abstract
concepts.”
• (Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language, p. 20)
(c) Susan Ranney
Definitions
• “..academic language is the set of words,
grammar, and organizational strategies
used to describe complex ideas, higher
order thinking processes, and abstract
concepts.”
• (Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language, p. 20)
(c) Susan Ranney
Definitions
• “..academic language is the set of words,
grammar, and organizational strategies
used to describe complex ideas, higher
order thinking processes, and abstract
concepts.”
• (Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language, p. 20)
(c) Susan Ranney
Definitions
• “..academic language is the set of words,
grammar, and organizational strategies
used to describe complex ideas, higher
order thinking processes, and abstract
concepts.”
• (Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language, p. 20)
(c) Susan Ranney
Caution :Academic/Everyday language should be
seen as a continuum rather than a dichotomy
Informal social
conversations
informal writing
for social
purposes
More conversational
Informal writing
or discussions in
classrooms
Structured
academic
discussions
More academic
(c) Susan Ranney
Formal
presentations or
edited writing
Now that we know what academic language
is……..
 How
can we analyze the academic
language demands of a lesson?
 What are the various aspects of
academic language demands in the
edTPA?
(c) Susan Ranney
Learning
Segment
Vocabulary
Practice
Central
Focus
Key
Learning
Task
Syntax
Scaffolds
and
Supports
Language
Function
Discourse
(c) SCALE 2012 Melanie Hundley
edTPA definitions

academic language: Oral and written language used for
academic purposes. Academic language is the means by
which students develop and express content
understandings. Academic language represents the
language of the discipline that students need to learn and
use to participate and engage in meaningful ways in the
content area. There are language demands that teachers
need to consider as they plan to support student learning of
content.These language demands include vocabulary,
language functions, syntax, and discourse.
(c) Susan Ranney
edTPA definition of language demands

language demands: Specific ways that academic
language (vocabulary, functions, discourse, syntax) is used
by students to participate in learning task through reading,
writing, listening, and/or speaking to demonstrate their
understanding.
(c) Susan Ranney
edTPA definition of discourse

discourse: Discourse includes the structures of written
and oral language, as well as how members of the
discipline talk, write, and participate in knowledge
construction. Discipline-specific discourse has distinctive
features or ways of structuring oral or written language
(text structures) that provide useful ways for the content
to be communicated.
(c) Susan Ranney
edTPA definition of language functions

language functions: The content and language focus of
the learning task represented by the active verbs within
the learning outcomes.
(c) Susan Ranney
edTPA definition of syntax

syntax: The set of conventions for organizing symbols,
words, and phrases together into structures (e.g.,
sentences, graphs, tables).
(c) Susan Ranney
edTPA definition of academic vocabulary

vocabulary: Includes words and phrases that are used
within disciplines including: (1) words and phrases with
subject-specific meanings that differ from meanings used
in everyday life (e.g., table); (2) general academic
vocabulary used across disciplines (e.g., compare, analyze,
evaluate); and (3) subject-specific words defined for use in
the discipline
(c) Susan Ranney
edTPA task: Analyze language demands

Analyze language demands. Select a key language
function, a learning task, and additional language
demands required for the task.
(c) Susan Ranney
Learning
Segment
Vocabulary
Practice
Central
Focus
Key
Learning
Task
Syntax
Scaffolds
and
Supports
Language
Function
Discourse
(c) SCALE 2012 Melanie Hundley
Selecting a language demand in a lesson
plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Consider the key content objectives.
Examine the language needed to fulfill the content
objectives: What do students need to do in terms of
reading/writing/listening/speaking?
Consider the language functions that students will
either interpret (in reading/listening) or produce (in
speaking/writing).
Link the language function (i.e. explain, justify) with
language forms (vocabulary, sentence types, or genres)
that can be used to do the function.
Choose a language form/function that is important and
that students need support with.
(c) Susan Ranney
Language demands

Language functions –
What you DO

Vocabulary, Syntax,
Discourse – the tools you
use
(c) Susan Ranney
Find the language functions for your
content area from edTPA handbook
All language functions may occur across all content areas,
but the edTPA has selected those that seem most
relevant to the goals of the content area. Look in the
glossary at the end of your handbook under the
definitions about academic language.
(c) Susan Ranney
Sample Language Functions
 Argue
Explain
Justify
(c) Susan Ranney
Where can you find language functions for a
lesson?

Look at the content objectives – What verbs do you see?

What tasks are students expected to perform? What will
they DO with language?
(c) Susan Ranney
Finding academic language
functions in a lesson
Ex from a lesson plan on Allegory in PaintingStudents will be able to :
• Define allegory and discuss its use in the visual arts
• Explain what makes an image allegorical
(c) Susan Ranney
Learning tasks and language functions
Tasks


Broad goals involving
several steps (i.e. write a
report)
May involve thinking or
actions that do not involve
much language (i.e. solve a
math equation, measure a
substance in an
experiment, paint a
picture)
Language functions


May involve several
statements but is more
uniform in purpose than a
task. (i.e. describe a
historical event, explain
the results of an
experiment)
Expressed in speech or
writing (i.e. describe a
painting)
(c) Susan Ranney
Partner task (at your table)– Learning tasks
vs. academic language functions

See Part B p. 4

Determine if the verb in
each lesson objective
describes a general task or
a language function.

If it describes a task,
suggest some language
functions that might be
involved. What specific
types of things would
students do in
speech/writing?
(c) Susan Ranney
Features of language
Vocabulary
Syntax
Discourse
(c) Susan Ranney
Vocabulary

Content-specific words
(i.e. trapezoid)

General academic words
(i.e. furthermore, feature)

Common, everyday words
that are used in
specialized ways in
subjects (i.e. table, right,
state)
(c) Susan Ranney
Going beyond the obvious……

Content-specific or brick
words

General academic, or
mortar words

Words that are frequently
defined in a textbook, and
that teachers know they
need to define

Words that teachers often
mistakenly assume
students know

Ex: aspect, complex, exhibit,
interpret, range, furthermore

(Dutro & Moran, 2003)

Ex: molecule, landform,
coefficient, protagonist,
(c) Susan Ranney
If you only use bricks…
…the wall will fall down
(c) Elizabeth Dillard
What happens if you don’t know the
mortar words or other brick words?
 Physical
properties are _______ of all
___________ that can be __________
and measured without changing the
__________ ____________of the
______________.
(c) Susan Ranney
It helps to know some other brick words
 Physical
properties are _________ of
all matter that can be ___________ and
measured without changing the
chemical composition of the
_____________.
(c) Susan Ranney
It helps even more to know all the
mortar words
 Physical
properties are features of all
matter that can be observed and
measured without changing the chemical
composition of the substance.
(c) Susan Ranney
Identify academic vocabulary in a text

With a partner, look at
the excerpt from a text
about hurricanes under
the application task on p.
4. Read through a few
sentences and underline
words that relate directly
to the content and are
scientific terms.

Then read through the
sentences again and circle
any words that seem
“academic” in that they
might not be used often in
casual conversation, but
would be used in many
different academic
subjects.
(c) Susan Ranney
See the text on p. 4 of handout

"There are three conditions required for a disturbance to
form and strengthen into a hurricane. First, the
disturbance must gather heat and energy through contact
with warm ocean waters. Next, added moisture
evaporated from the sea surface then powers the seedling
tropical storm like a giant heat engine. Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind pattern near the ocean surface that
spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing
the air to warm further and rise higher into the
atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are
relatively light, this structure can remain intact and further
strengthen the hurricane."
(c) Susan Ranney
Content specific words

"There are three conditions required for a disturbance to
form and strengthen into a hurricane. First, the
disturbance must gather heat and energy through contact
with warm ocean waters. Next, added moisture
evaporated from the sea surface then powers the seedling
tropical storm like a giant heat engine. Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind pattern near the ocean surface that
spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing
the air to warm further and rise higher into the
atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are
relatively light, this structure can remain intact and further
strengthen the hurricane."
(c) Susan Ranney
General academic words from the AWL

"There are three conditions required for a disturbance to
form and strengthen into a hurricane. First, the
disturbance must gather heat and energy through contact
with warm ocean waters. Next, added moisture
evaporated from the sea surface then powers the seedling
tropical storm like a giant heat engine. Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind pattern near the ocean surface that
spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing
the air to warm further and rise higher into the
atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are
relatively light, this structure can remain intact and further
strengthen the hurricane."
(c) Susan Ranney
Other possible general academic words (Use
your intuition)

"There are three conditions required for a disturbance to
form and strengthen into a hurricane. First, the
disturbance must gather heat and energy through contact
with warm ocean waters. Next, added moisture
evaporated from the sea surface then powers the seedling
tropical storm like a giant heat engine. Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind pattern near the ocean surface that
spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing
the air to warm further and rise higher into the
atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are
relatively light, this structure can remain intact and further
strengthen the hurricane."
(c) Susan Ranney
What is Syntax?
edTPA definition: The
set of conventions for
organizing symbols, words,
and phrases together into
structures
(sentences, graphs, tables)

Typical Academic language
features of syntax





Long noun phrases
Nominalization
Embedded clauses
Passive voice
Generally longer and
more complex sentences
(c) Susan Ranney
A few different language features (syntax)
Everyday language
 Shorter and incomplete
sentences (Sausage biscuits
again?)
 Actions through verbs (cut
down trees)
Academic Language
Longer
and complex sentences
(Experts say that…….)
Make
actions into nouns to
build concepts (deforestation)

More active voice (They ate
pizza)
Passive

Shorter noun phrases
(healthy food)
Long
voice more common
(how much pizza was eaten?)
noun phrases (Improving
the nutritional quality of foods
offered
from other sources)
(c) Susan Ranney
Syntax examples: elaborate noun phrases

..added moisture evaporated from the sea surface then
powers the seedling tropical storm like a giant heat
engine

Write an inequality that, when solved, will give the amount of
sales Mandy needs to cover her planned expenses.
(c) Susan Ranney
nominalizations

Take a verb or adjective and make it into a noun form

Often used to describe abstract concepts
(c) Susan Ranney
Nominalizations are used across content
areas









Opposition (physical education)
Evolution (science)
Colonialism (social studies)
Probability (mathematics)
Personification (language arts)
Chord progression (music)
Conservation tillage(agriculture)
Consumerism (FACS)
Composition (art)
(c) Susan Ranney
Examples of syntax: Complex sentences

‘These findings suggest that adolescents who bring lunch
to school from home have more positive dietary
behaviors than do adolescents who get their lunches
from other sources.’
(c) Susan Ranney
Syntax examples: passive voice

The Statue of Liberty was
constructed from an iron
framework attached to
steel beams. Sections of
the copper skin were
attached. It was completed
in 1886.

Example from science
experiment: ‘The
changes in the plant size
were measured each day.’
(c) Susan Ranney
Syntax: Conditional sentences



Science: ‘If the prey contains protein, the trap on the
Venus fly-trap closes fully, and digestion begins.’
Math: ‘If 50% of a number is 20, what is 75% of the
number?’
Language arts: “If you give a moose a muffin, he will
want jam to go with it.”
(c) Susan Ranney
Try to identify some features of syntax in
this text (p. 3 in handout)

"There are three conditions required for a disturbance to
form and strengthen into a hurricane. First, the
disturbance must gather heat and energy through contact
with warm ocean waters. Next, added moisture
evaporated from the sea surface then powers the seedling
tropical storm like a giant heat engine. Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind pattern near the ocean surface that
spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing
the air to warm further and rise higher into the
atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are
relatively light, this structure can remain intact and further
strengthen the hurricane."
(c) Susan Ranney
Long and complex sentences

"There are three conditions/ required for a disturbance
to form and strengthen into a hurricane. First, the
disturbance must gather heat and energy/ through
contact with warm ocean waters. Next, added moisture
evaporated from the sea surface then powers the seedling
tropical storm/like a giant heat engine. Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind pattern near the ocean surface/ that
spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form,/ allowing
the air to warm further and rise higher into the
atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are
relatively light,/ this structure can remain intact and
further strengthen the hurricane."
(c) Susan Ranney
Elaborate noun phrases

"There are three conditions required for a disturbance to
form and strengthen into a hurricane. First, the
disturbance must gather heat and energy through contact
with warm ocean waters. Next, added moisture
evaporated from the sea surface then powers the seedling
tropical storm like a giant heat engine. Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind pattern near the ocean surface that
spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing
the air to warm further and rise higher into the
atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are
relatively light, this structure can remain intact and further
strengthen the hurricane."
(c) Susan Ranney
Passive voice

"There are three conditions required for a disturbance to
form and strengthen into a hurricane. First, the
disturbance must gather heat and energy through contact
with warm ocean waters. Next, added moisture
evaporated from the sea surface then powers the seedling
tropical storm like a giant heat engine. Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind pattern near the ocean surface that
spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing
the air to warm further and rise higher into the
atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are
relatively light, this structure can remain intact and further
strengthen the hurricane."
(c) Susan Ranney
Conditional sentence

"There are three conditions required for a disturbance to
form and strengthen into a hurricane. First, the
disturbance must gather heat and energy through contact
with warm ocean waters. Next, added moisture
evaporated from the sea surface then powers the seedling
tropical storm like a giant heat engine. Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind pattern near the ocean surface that
spirals air inward. Bands of thunderstorms form, allowing
the air to warm further and rise higher into the
atmosphere. If the winds at these higher levels are
relatively light, this structure can remain intact and further
strengthen the hurricane."
(c) Susan Ranney
Discourse: Review the edTPA definitions for
your content
Discourse includes the structures of written and oral
language, as well as how members of the discipline talk,
write, and participate in knowledge construction.
Discipline-specific discourse has distinctive features or
ways of structuring oral or written language (text
structures) that provide useful ways for the content to be
communicated.
(c) Susan Ranney
Examples of discourse organization





Essays
Debates
Multimedia presentations
Reports
Discussions
Questions to ask:
 What types of information
are included?
 How are the pieces of
information organized?
What comes first, etc?
(c) Susan Ranney
Discourse connectives
(c) Susan Ranney
Partner task: Analyzing discourse demands
1. Analyze the discourse
features of the hurricane
text on p. 4 of the
handout.
2. Identify types of writing
used in your content
area. What types of
genres and discourse
patterns are used?
(c) Susan Ranney
Discourse features of hurricane text

Topic sentence lays out a
generalization and preview
of the content of the
paragraph.

Facts are organized
chronologically and show
cause-effect chain.

Discourse connectives
show relationships (first,
next, finally)
(c) Susan Ranney
Analyzing language demands

Features of the Texts

Features of the Tasks
(c) Susan Ranney
Selecting a language demand in a lesson
plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Consider the key content objectives.
Examine the language needed to fulfill the content
objectives: What do students need to do in terms of
writing/speaking?
Consider the language functions that students will
produce (in speaking/writing).
Link the language function (i.e. explain, justify) with
language forms (vocabulary, sentence types, or genres)
that can be used to do the function.
Choose a language form/function that is important and
that students need support with.
(c) Susan Ranney
Partner task

Look at the hypothetical lesson on the top of p. 5 and
identify some types of academic language that might be
useful to support in the lesson, thinking about discourse,
syntax, and vocabulary.

What particular words and forms would they need to use
in writing or speaking? What aspects might be
challenging? How can you move students to use more
academic forms of language?
(c) Susan Ranney
Look at these targets from an edTPA rubric. What do you
need to include in your planning?

Level 3: Candidate identifies vocabulary and additional
language demand(s) associated with the language function.
Plans include general support for use of
vocabulary as well as additional language
demand(s).

Level 3:Candidate explains and provides evidence of
students’ use of the language function as well as
vocabulary OR additional language demand(s).
(c) Susan Ranney
Resources for selecting and explaining
vocabulary


AWL (Academic Word
List)

Word generation project

Learners’ dictionaries
But also use your intuition
about what is important
to the topic and to other
content areas
(c) Susan Ranney
How can you create student-friendly
definitions?
• Learner’s
dictionaries provide
definitions that
students can
understand
• They are available
from several
publishers, in hard
copy and online
(c) Susan Ranney
Which definition is likely to help a student
who doesn’t understand “bias”?
Dictionary.com
• 1. an oblique or diagonal
line of direction,
especially across a
woven fabric.
• 2. a particular tendency
or inclination, especially
one that prevents
unprejudiced
consideration of a
question; prejudice.
Longman Learner’s
dictionary:
• an opinion about
whether a person,
group, or idea is good
or bad which influences
how you deal with it
• Ex. Students were
evaluated without bias.
(c) Susan Ranney
Steps for Introducing New Vocabulary
Teacher says the word.
2.
Teacher states the word in context from the text.
3.
Teacher provides the dictionary definition(s).
4.
Teacher explains meaning with student-friendly definitions.
5.
Asks students to repeat the word 3 times.
6.
Engages students in activities to develop word/concept
knowledge.
7.
Students say the word again or the whole sentence where it
is found.
(Calderon, M. 2007. Teaching Reading to English Language Learners,
Grades 6-12: A Framework for Improving Achievement in the
Content Areas, Corwin Press.)
1.
(c) Susan Ranney
Example of Steps for Introducing New
Vocabulary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
T: Nominalization
Nominalization is a pervasive feature of academic and
particularly scientific texts (Fang, Schleppegrell & Cox)
Nominalization is the expression as a noun or noun phrase
of meanings that might more typically be expressed in a verb,
adjective, or whole clause
If you take a verb like “oppose” and turn it into a noun
“opposition”, that is nominalization and it expresses an
abstract concept.
Students: nominalization, nominalization, nominalization.
Complete this sentence: An example of nominalization in my
subject area is…...
Students say the word again or the whole sentence where it
is found.
(c) Susan Ranney
Activities for student practice of words




Sentence frames
I have/who has
Meaningful speaking and
writing tasks with need to
use the words
Have you ever and Idea
Completion
(c) Susan Ranney
I have/ who has


Card 1: I agree with the
idea that we should
_________ cell phone
use when people are
driving.

One person says “Who
has….. (read the definition
or idea completion)

Look at your cards. If you
have a word that fits, say “I
have (the word).

Then continue with the
next ‘Who has…..
Card 2: restrict
(c) Susan Ranney
Tools for Teaching syntax
 Pay attention to sentences
Teaching techniques
that may be challenging for
students: long sentences
with many clauses, sentences
with extended noun phrases,
conditional sentences,
passive voice, etc.

Talk about how you
understand the parts of the
sentence – You don’t need
to explain grammar terms!
Show how you chunk
information in the sentence
and what different parts
mean.

Translating between
academic and everyday
language

Sentence frames

Think alouds where you
chunk and talk about
sentence parts
(c) Susan Ranney
Example of thinking aloud about syntax

Finally, the seedling
storm forms a wind
pattern near the
ocean surface that
spirals air inward.

This is a long sentence, so
I’m going to break it into
chunks. First, it says that
the seedling (or just
beginning like a plant)
storm forms a wind
pattern…then ‘near the
ocean surface’ – that tells
me where…then ‘that
spirals air inward’ – that
tells me what the wind
pattern does.
(c) Susan Ranney
Examples of sentence starters and
sentence frames
Q: Is a vegetarian diet better for the environment?
Possible frames:
 A vegetarian diet is better/not better
because________________________
 While a vegetarian diet promotes_____, an omnivore
diet may be better because_______
 I would argue for an omnivore diet because__________
(c) Susan Ranney
Providing explicit models, opportunities
for practice

Demonstrate how to
translate back and
forth between
academic language and
everyday language.

“The text says_______. If I
were going to talk about
that to a friend, I might
say_____________.”

“So we know__________.
Now how could we say that
like a
scientist/mathematician/his
torian/writer?”
(c) Susan Ranney
Reflection time

Find one of your partners
from the first activity.

Share your thoughts on
what we have just covered
on teaching vocabulary
and syntax.

What strategies do you
think you could implement
in your teaching?

What questions do you
have?

Write questions or
comments on notecards
on the table.
(c) Susan Ranney
Tools for Teaching Discourse

Identify key features of the
genre (i.e. narrative
writing, report, poster,
powerpoint presentation,
oral presentation, debate)
you want students to
produce.

Provide models and
explanations of the
features that you want
students to use.

(See Gibbons, P. 2009.
English Learners Academic
Literacy, and Thinking:
Learning in the Challenge
Zone. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.)
(c) Susan Ranney
The Teaching Learning Cycle
Students
write
independently
Build background
knowledge and
encourage informal
conversation on topic
Teacher and students coconstruct a text about
the experience, using the
model as a guide
Discuss the activity and
increase the academic
language used
Model a written
text and discuss
important text
features
(c) Susan Ranney
What helps students develop academic
language?




Opportunities to talk! (Give them a chance to USE
language functions, vocabulary, syntax, discourse..)
Open-ended questions that demand more than one-word
answers
Opportunities for extended conversations with an
academic purpose
Language models such as sentence frames
(c) Susan Ranney
Pro-Con Activity (Zwiers, 2008) See p.8
Practice connective words and thinking about different
perspectives on an issue.
1. Have students prepare by making notes about different
sides of an issue.
2. Teach particular words to show connections between
ideas (i.e. moreover, in addition, however, on the other
hand, in contrast)
3. Have students take turns giving an argument and then
switching to the opposing argument with connecting
words.
4. Or – have students choose different sides and do it as a
dialogue.
(c) Susan Ranney
Try a pro-con!

Topics:




Supersized drinks should be banned.
Soft drinks should not be sold in schools.
Soft drinks should be taxed higher than other items.
School lunches should restrict the number of calories per
lunch.
Sample connective words: however, on the other hand, in
contrast, moreover, in addition, in fact , on top of that……
(c) Susan Ranney
Demonstrating student use of academic language
and providing feedback
1. For Task 3, evidence of language use may come from
video clips for oral language or from written student
work samples.
2. Note that candidates need to demonstrate that
STUDENTS use the language (selected function,
vocabulary, symbols, and additional identified demands) to
develop content understandings.
(c) Susan Ranney
Partner task: Rate these in terms of how well they
demonstrate student use of language to develop content
understandings
a) Teacher provides a definition of an academic word
necessary to the content lesson.
b) Students take a list of vocabulary words and write
original sentences with them.
c) Using sentence frames and word walls, students write
summaries of key points from a content lesson.
d) Students make corrections in sample sentences to
practice grammar and punctuation.
e) Following instruction on using embedded clauses to
add information to sentences, students revise their
compositions to add details using embedded (relative)
clauses.
f) With teacher scaffolding, students formulate more
academic ways of phrasing concepts they are discussing.
(c) Susan Ranney
Providing feedback to students learning
academic language

Review the tips on p. 8
(c) Susan Ranney
You don’t have to do it all at once!



Level 3: Candidate identifies vocabulary and additional
language demand(s) associated with the language function.
Plans include general support for use of vocabulary as
well as additional language demand(s).
Level 3:Candidate explains and provides evidence of
students’ use of the language function as well as
vocabulary OR additional language demand(s).
(NOT discourse AND syntax all the time or all types of
discourse/syntax)
(c) Susan Ranney
You can do it!

Start looking for academic language – what is different
from everyday use? How can you show students how to
speak and write in more academic ways?

Use resources to build up strategies for teaching language
while you teach your content (vocabulary teaching, think
alouds, oral activities, translating activities, supporting
writing by modeling and analyzing texts, etc)

Choose one or two strategies that fit with your lesson
for the edTPA
(c) Susan Ranney
Remember: There are many pieces of
the edTPA but they are all linked
References




Calderon, M. 2007. Teaching Reading to English Language
Learners, Grades 6-12: A Framework for Improving Achievement in
the Content Areas, Corwin Press
Dutro, S., & Moran, C. 2003. Rethinking English language
instruction: An architectural approach. In G. G. García (Ed.),
English learners: Reaching the highest level of English literacy (pp.
227-258). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Gibbons, P. 2009. English Learners Academic Literacy, and Thinking:
Learning in the Challenge Zone. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices
for content classrooms. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.
(c) Susan Ranney