A Team Approach to the Academic Language Analysis of Biology Standards With Implications for English Language Learners

• In Event: Research to Improve Education for English Language Learners Through University-District Collaboration

Abstract

The purpose of this partnership between The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education (GW-CEEE), the New York State Department of Education, and educators from two New York state districts was twofold: to use an analytic process to identify the academic language English language learners (ELLs) need to be successful in high school biology, and specifically the NYS Living Environment course, and to establish analysis tools for teams of educators to examine the language of STEM courses.

Mastery of academic language can be especially demanding for ELLs. A major source of students’ success is the ability to comprehend and use academic language. Because content standards assume that all students are native English speakers, it is necessary to specifically identify the language of specific disciplines that ELLs will have difficulty comprehending and using. The construct of academic language is a developing one. While numerous research efforts during the past decade (e.g., Bailey, 2007; Bailey, Butler, LaFramenta, and Ong, 2001; Butler, Bailey, Stevens, Huang, and Lord, 2004; Schleppegrell, 2002) have helped to provide insight about the nature of the construct by looking at linguistic features at different grade levels and content areas, it is a state responsibility to articulate academic language for their own purposes based on state ELD (English language development) and content standards.

A language analysis team comprised of ELL and science specialists from the university, state, and districts used linguistic analysis techniques to capture the language features of texts and exam items systematically. Using researcher-designed analysis tools, the team members identified academic vocabulary, complex grammatical structures, and language functions from several data sources, including biology texts and assessment items from the Living Environment Regents Exam. Additionally, a tool developed by GW-CEEE, the Content Standards Language Analysis Tool or CSLAT, was used to catalog and organize the language data.

The process resulted in an academic language framework that begins to describe academic language implicit in the NYS Living Environment content standards for the Living Environment core curriculum for grades 8-12, and for high school biology courses in general. The academic language framework includes descriptions and examples of language features, specifically discourse features such as academic language functions; academic vocabulary (general and specialized); and grammatical structures.

The framework and tool are available for use by the NYS Department of Education to guide districts in the development of classroom materials and professional development. While the focus of this effort is on English language learners (ELLs), the potential value of the work is broader. A better understanding of the interaction between academic language and science content can benefit native English speaking students as well as ELLs, especially those with non-standard English language skills or below-grade level literacy. The information in the framework can be used for intervention materials that will help those students hone their language skills.

Authors

• Patricia DiCerbo, The George Washington University

• Kristina Anstrom, The George Washington University

• Charlene Rivera, The George Washington University