Preparing Teacher Candidates to Address Academic Language for the edTPA

Bryan Gillis Ph.D.Associate Professor of English Education and Literacy

Kennesaw State University

bgillis@kennesaw.edu

 Language Demands

Specific ways that Academic Language is used by students to participate in learning tasks to demonstrate their content understanding.

1. Vocabulary

2. Discourse

3. Syntax

Vocabulary

Words and phrases with:

1. Subject-specific meanings that differ across contents

2. Definitions for use in a specific discipline

3. Academic vocabulary that is used across disciplines- Language functions

1. Subject-specific meanings that differ across contents

Examples:Mathematics- factorLanguage Arts- toneSocial Studies- coordinateScience- table Words with content specific meanings that may be used extensively in general language or other subjects but have a precise meaning in that specific content

2. Definitions for use in a specific discipline

Science- allotrope

Social Studies- monarchy, revolution

Math- parallelogram

Language Arts- appositive

3. Academic vocabulary that is used across disciplines

Language functions

The active verb(s) that represent the content and language

focus of the learning task in a written objective (the learning outcome).

• Analyze

• Define

• Classify

• Interpret

Examples of Language Functions

• List• Label• Analyze• Restate• Form a question• State• Retell • Define• Describe• Give an example

• Hypothesize• Paraphrase• Explain• Make a connection• Compare/contrast• Narrate• Compose• Summarize• Defend • Justify

Discourse Discourse refers to classroom discussion with certain norms that align to a specific content, which provide accepted ways for students and the teacher to ask questions to clarify ideas and have opportunities to explain their thinking and listen to the explanations of others.

Discourse is how members of the discipline talk, write, and participate in knowledge construction. Discipline-specific discourse is explicit and precise language for a distant audience, providing useful ways for the content to be communicated.

Content Specific Examples of Discourse

Language Arts- If the language function is to persuade, then appropriate discourse could include descriptions of activities that involved the teaching of claims, supporting evidence, and counter arguments.

Science- If the language function is to draw conclusions, then appropriate discourse could include a description of an activity that involved the use of charts with results data.

Mathematics- If the language function is to explain, then appropriate discourse could include a description of an activity that involved the presention a body of solutions consisting of appropriate math terms, symbols, and representations.

Syntax

The set of conventions (rules) for organizing symbols, words, and phrases together into structures. (Zwiers, 2008).

Language Arts- sentence fluency, grammar

Science- graphs, tables, formulas

Math- expressions, order of operations

Social Studies- sentences, graphs, tables

Language Functions As Essential Components of A Written Objective or Learning Outcome

Language functionThe student will list, explain, analyze…. Content stem (key learning task from standard)a minimum of 3 reasons for characters’ actions

Supportusing a graphic organizerproviding an example outline

language function content stem

The students will describe characteristics of insects and arachnids using pictures and sentence prompts.

support

Academic Language in Language Arts

ELAGSE8RL6: Analyze how differences in the points of view of characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) creates such effects as suspense or humor.

Identify the language function

ELAGSE8RL6: Analyze how differences in the points of view of characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) creates such effects as suspense or humor.

Lesson objective using Romeo and Juliet

Students will analyze how the differences in the points of view of Romeo and Juliet and that of the audience creates both humor and pathos.

Language Function

What Does edTPA Assess?

Language Function

Candidates must describe how their students engage in both receptive and productive language skills that increase content understandings by means of the language function provided.

Students will analyze how the differences in the points of view of Romeo and Juliet and that of the audience create both humor and pathos.

In this example, edTPA is asking candidates to:

describe how an activity in the lesson plan will engage students in analyzing in order to make connections between different points of view and the tone and mood created (humor, pathos).

language function content stem

Students will analyze how the differences in the points of view of Romeo and Juliet and that of the audience create both humor and pathos….. What’s missing?

The description of the support. What the candidate will use to teach the concept.

language function content stem

The students will describe characteristics of insects and arachnids using pictures and sentence prompts.

support

Math, Social Studies, Science?

Math- Students will demonstrate order of operations (PEMDAS).

Social Studies- Students will describe the results of blending ethnic groups in Latin America and the Carribean.

Science- Students will compare and contrast the surface and atmospheric features of Earth and Mars.

Choose one and describe how an activity in your lesson plan will engage students in the language function listed.

Vocabulary

Candidates must describe how the structure of the learning tasks in the lesson enable students to learn and engage with the vocabulary. How do the structures of the tasks enhance the learning experience?

Romeo and Juliet- dramatic irony

Students will view clips from the TV show “Punkd” and the movie Dracula in which the viewer has information that a character in the show doesn’t possess. Written and oral explanations will accompany visual examples to help students understand the concept of dramatic irony.

Discourse

How will candidates facilitate discussion in which their students participate in reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking tasks that serve to demonstrate or increase an understanding of content, including the academic language being taught.Students will demonstrate order of operations (PEMDAS).

Activities that demonstrate both productive and receptive tasks?

Syntax

Candidates must describe how they plan to teach any rules, special forms, conventions, and/or grammar associated with writing or speaking in the content area.

From the edTPA Scorer’s Perspective

1. Students’ repeated misuse of vocabulary is an automatic 1

2. A list of language functions is provided to the candidate; thus, more weight is placed on how the candidate plans for the opportunities (i.e., functions) to use language (vocabulary, syntax, and discourse) in learning.

3. The scorers don’t evaluate the candidate’s understanding of academic language; instead they identify the language demands in the lesson plan and evaluate how the candidate supports for the use of the language.