Yo... whats up guys? Lets talk academic language!

Academic language is a very important topic to discuss. It is crucial to use academic language within the school and in life. After conducting fieldwork, I really opened my eyes to the importance of academic language.

Academic language is used in school and work. It is the language of text, assessment, power and academic success. It is important as professional adults that we speak using proper academic language. Throughout fieldwork, most of the class used "guys" as a way of addressing the students. This would be considered social language, not language we as educators should be using to address the students. We lead by example, if we speak properly, our students will be more likely to use similar language, but it goes beyond modeling. Academic language is something that needs to be taught. The differences between social and academic language can be taught by providing two passages, one written using social language, and the other using academic language. The students can read the passages and determine the type of language being used. Based on grade-level, students should be taught academic language in a different context. Here is a break-down by grade-level groups:
Pre-k-4th: Teach age appropriate language through show and tell.
4th-8th: Provide set examples, allow students to develop academic language through practice in groups and as the educator, gradually pull back support for individual ability.
9th-12th: Complicated grammar structure should be taught.
ELL's need extra help with learning academic language. Explicit, specific instruction is necessary for ELL's to use, understand, pronounce and develop academic language. 

I feel teaching academic language is important for several reasons. The first being that using academic language is beneficial to academic success. The second is because the use of technology in today's society. Students are surrounded by a world of technology; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, computers and texting are part of the average student's social world. The language used is often slang, which I am finding to be interfering with language used in schools. Reading papers and talking to students, I am finding "gunna, wat and goin" as trademarks in papers. As a future educator, I am worried that students will continue this social language into their professional careers. It is important that we as educators teach and use academic language with the students. I will strive as a teacher and professional adult to use academic language and teach it to my students in order to help develop college and career ready individuals.