examining language demands through functions and...

Examining Language Demands through Functions and Forms

Language Demands = Focus of Module

Language demands: language students are required to understand and use during a particular task or activity

Step 1: Examine & Identify Appropriate Instructional Task

Task Analysis Process

Step 2: Identify Task Demands




Language Analytical Skills Content Knowledge

Language Demands = Focus of Module

•  Language demands: language students are required to understand and use during a particular task or activity

•  Language demands are comprised of language functions and/or forms

•  NOT focusing on language development or students’ “language levels” –  Addressed in Modules 4 & 5

Types of Language Demands

Receptive: demands that refer to the language students must understand in order to complete task

Productive: demands that refer to language students must use to complete task

Interactive: kind of productive demands that involve two-way interactive communication and negotiation of meaning

•  What do these the terms “language functions” and “language forms” mean?

•  Hint: types of language practices and/or components that make up the ways that students understand and use language

•  Take a few minutes and write down a possible definition for both terms

Assessing Previous Knowledge

Language Functions •  Describe what students DO with language to accomplish

academic tasks across content areas

•  Refer to the purposes for which language is used in the classroom (Gibbons, 1993)

•  Using academic language functions offers a practical way to ensure that content and language are integrated.

•  How does this description line up with your definition?

Functions: How Students Use Language Main Language Functions Used in the Classroom

•  Hypothesizing •  Planning/Predicting •  Questioning •  Reporting •  Sequencing •  Supporting a claim

Adapted from Gibbons, 1999 (In Herrell & Jordan, 2012)

•  Analyzing text •  Classifying •  Comparing •  Describing •  Evaluating •  Explaining •  Expressing position/Making a claim

Language Functions ~ Analytical Skills

•  Lots of overlap between language functions and analytical skills

•  Analytical skills are often accomplished through language

Language Func*ons

Analy*cal skills

DOKs to Identify Language Functions

(Webb, 2002)

MP1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

MP2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively

MP6. Attend to precision

MP7. Look for and make use of structure

MP8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

SP1. Ask questions and define problems

SP3. Plan and carry out investigations

SP4. Analyze and interpret data

SP6. Construct explanations and design solutions

EP4. Build and present knowledge through research by integrating, comparing, and synthesizing ideas from text

EP5. Build upon the ideas of others and articulate their own clearly when working collaboratively

EP6. Use English structures to communicate context specific messages

EP7*. Use

technology and digital media strategically and capably

MP5. Use appropriate tools strategically

SP8. Obtain,

evaluate, and communicate

information

EP2. Produce clear and coherent writing

in which the development, organization,

and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience

SP2. Develop and use models

MP4. Model with mathematics

SP5. Use mathematics and computational thinking

EP1. Support analysis of a range of grade-level complex texts with evidence

MP3 and EP3. Construct viable and valid arguments from evidence and critique reasoning of others

SP7. Engage in argument from evidence

Relationships and Convergences

EDUCATIONGRADUATE SCHOOL OF

Found in:1. CCSS for Mathematics (practices)2a. CCSS for ELA & Literacy (student capacity)2b. ELPD Framework (ELA “practices”)3. NGSS (science and engineering practices)

Notes: 1. MP1–MP8 represent CCSS

Mathematical Practices (p. 6–8).2. SP1–SP8 represent NGSS Science and

Engineering Practices.3. EP1–EP6 represent CCSS for ELA

“Practices” as defined by the ELPD Framework (p. 11).

4. EP7* represents CCSS for ELA student “capacity” (p. 7).

Suggested citation:Cheuk, T. (2013). Relationships and convergences among the mathematics, science, and ELA

practices. Refined version of diagram created by the Understanding Language Initiative for ELP Standards. Stanford, CA: Stanford University.

ELP Standards 1 construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through grade-

appropriate listening, reading, and viewing

2 participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions

3 speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics

4 construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence

5 conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems

6 analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing

7 adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing

8 determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text

9 create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text

10 make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade-appropriate speech and writing

Language Forms

•  Language forms: language structures + vocabulary

•  How does this definition line up with your initial definition?

More Definitions… Language Structures •  Grammar, syntax, morphology, etc. •  Words that hold our language together •  Word, phrase or sentence level Cross-Curricular Academic Vocabulary •  Words or phrases that are frequently used across different

content-areas; often verbs that depict relationships

Language Demands (language students must understand and use)

Language Functions (what students DO with language)

Language Forms (language structures of those

functions + vocabulary)

ELP Standards 1 construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through grade-

appropriate listening, reading, and viewing

2 participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions

3 speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics

4 construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence

5 conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems

6 analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing

7 adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing

8 determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text

9 create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text

10 make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade-appropriate speech and writing





Resources: Functions & Forms PDF

•  What are language demands and what role do language functions and forms play within these demands?

•  Think of a task you recently assigned your students. What were the language demands of that task? How cognizant were you of these demands when assigning the task versus now?

•  How might the concepts of language functions and forms help you better understand and use the ELP Standards?

Reflection Questions

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