Academic Content Area Teaching

 

Content Area teaching requires the English language teachers to effectively address the linguistic challenges faced by their students. Teachers should have an appropriate understanding of the language of the content areas such as Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Computers.

                           Implications of using academic content

This knowledge will facilitate comprehension of language specific to the subject matter, as students build their content knowledge through this medium.

For many students, addressing language barriers is very challenging. A Mathematics teacher should be able to explain to English Language students the algebraic equation solution or Pythagoras Theorem, and likewise, a science teacher should be able to understand why students might be having a tough time writing their conclusion on various theories about atomic structure. This support could benefit all ELs as the content teachers will realize how to engage English learners in the appropriate use of the language of a particular discipline to perform these language-related activities.

Let’s consider the following examples reflecting content area language for mathematical questions:
1. “If the total numbers of players in a basketball team are 5 and eight teams are registered in the tournament, then how many players are participating?”
2. “If Joe is five years younger than Bill, who is double the age of Jerry, how old is Jerry if Joe is twenty years old?”

Academic English is the schooling language that helps ELs acquire and use the content area knowledge taught in schools. This is a typical feature of written English commonly found in Mathematics texts and it can pose challenges for some struggling readers. ELs may have a hard time understanding the comparison and relationship between abstract numbers.

In the aforesaid examples, the if-then phrase helps to construct the logical relationships that a mathematical equation conveys at the sentence level. If English Learners do not comprehend this relationship, they will have a hard time forming an algebraic equation to solve the word problem.
There might be more of a challenge to ELs with the language used in the above sample texts. The content-area teachers should be aware of how English language learners perceive content-specific language.

However, the process of preparation for the lesson is done carefully, and depending on the circumstances, it might take a few minutes to a few hours. It always depends on how familiar the teacher is with the material. As far as the question of following course text or lesson templates is concerned, both are helpful if used smartly. An advantage of the course text is that it provides an outline to be followed by the teacher for that class, but it doesn’t explain the concepts well. Teachers must devise some strategies for dealing with both. When using course text, decide how it might be used in helping            students understand the content area concepts. When using the course text. Therefore, always allocate some extra time to explain the concepts presented in the textbook.

Lessons should be carefully planned to follow the sequences. However, the actual In-class conditions are not ideal. The students may struggle to fully grasp the concepts quickly and here comes the role of a teacher. In such a situation, adjust the lesson plan by making allowances for the student's engagement and understanding. Once a lesson is delivered, record your reflections on what went well and what could have been better. Did the students understand what was tried to teach? Did they act out or were they engaged? Was the textbook helpful or it created more problems than it solved? Should other supplementary material be used to explain the concept? Note these reflections with the sole objective of improving this lesson next time.

Complex ideas are prevalent in various content areas, such as math, language arts, and history. Explicit language is used to reduce the opportunity for misinterpretation. English language learners have the daunting task of learning the English language while simultaneously learning the content and academic language of the different subject areas. Transition words and phrases link key vocabulary and concepts together.

Dr. Jim Cummins explained two terms to distinguish between social language and academic language;

Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills- BICS

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency- CALP
Academic Language has three functions:
• describe complex ideas
• describe abstract ideas
• describe complex thinking processes

Complex ideas are prevalent in various content areas. In science, in language arts, academic language is required to interpret literary devices used in a novel and history.

Abstract ideas become increasingly prevalent in content areas for students in higher grades.

For example, solving equations in mathematics, understanding political and economic systems in history, and explaining molecular bonding in chemistry.

Complex thinking processes are also known as higher-order thinking skills. In mathematics, an emphasis is on problem-solving. In history, there is an emphasis on explaining, justifying, and evaluating. In science students are expected to formulate hypotheses, interpret data, and communicate their observations and conclusions.

• Explicit language is used to reduce the opportunity for misinterpretation.

• Figurative expressions use figures of speech such as metaphors and        analogies.