Scholarly Writing & Styles
Scholarly writing is objective, addresses key stakeholders, clearly states a problem(s), provides the significance of the stated problem(s), and is logical and organized. The aim of scholarly writing is to make an argument that is supported with evidence. The peer-reviewed journals you have found in your library searches for literature are examples of scholarly writing. To be an effective change agent and a leader in the field of education, it is crucial that you have well developed scholarly writing abilities.
As you have explored your selected case study’s documents, you have read a variety of types of writing that differ from scholarly writing. For example, you may have read blog posts, letters to the editor, newspaper articles, and government reports.
Reflect on the different types of writing used in the resources that you identified in the Looking Ahead at the end of Assignment 3. Which resources reflected the characteristics of scholarly writing, and which did not? Your role in education will likely require you to not only read a variety of types of writing, but to use a variety of writing types in your own communications. As you may have noticed in the case study documents and the resources you have been exploring, the type of writing you use depends on your audience and the purpose of your communication.
For this Assignment, create a simple message related to the case study. In addition, identify three different audiences to which to communicate the message. These audiences may be extracted from the case study documents, or you may identify different audiences appropriate for the message.
Consider how you might convey the same message in writing to the three different audiences for your case study.
Issues in K-12 Education Case Study Document 6
English Language Learner Instruction and Twenty-First Century Education
This is a simulated article from a leading educational journal. The target audience is K-12 teachers, administrators, as well as prospective teachers still studying. It is about standards- based education in the twenty-first century and its impact on English language learners (ELLs). The author is an instructor who is both enthusiastic and anxious about the implementation of rigorous new academic expectations for ELLs.
English language learners (ELLs) are defined as students who learn English as a non-native language. As an ELL instructor, I know firsthand that students and instructors face unique challenges related to teaching and learning complex academic skills, in addition to mastering the English language. Standards-based instruction offers opportunities to incorporate ELLs into the general education population by diminishing the achievement gap between ELL students and those for whom English is their first language. However, uniform academic standards also present a great challenge (Maxwell 2012).
Although ELL students belong to one common category, that of non-native speakers, they are far from a homogeneous group. Not only do they speak many different first languages, but they come from different cultural backgrounds and possess widely different academic skills. ELL students are typically categorized on their need for language instruction, rather than their academic ability. In addition to having ELL students with different levels of English, they are often placed in classes with native English speakers. I’ve witnessed the resulting challenges. We teachers try to achieve the delicate balance between appreciating the individual talents and needs of students while providing an entire classroom with standards-based instruction.
One important dilemma in the education of ELLs centers on the difference between academic English and social English. Social English is essential for everyday, basic communication. Academic language is the language of formal texts and scholarly discourse. Academic language involves precise terminology rather than vague, general words or slang. Academic vocabulary is often more abstract than social or survival vocabulary. Academic discourse requires mastery of grammar and usage.
In the past, social English was typically the main focus of instruction for beginning ELLs (Colorin Colorado 2014). Students were not introduced to academic English until they were proficient in social English. This approach made it difficult for many students to develop grade-appropriate content knowledge in core academic subjects because they lacked the vocabulary necessary for comprehension and expression (Illinois State University 2014).
Today, there is an increased emphasis on preparing all students to become college and career ready. Academic standards are rich and rigorous. One specific area of emphasis is instruction in “Tier 2” academic vocabulary, defined as general academic words that are used frequently across different subject and content areas (Cruz 2004).
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There is much that English language educators can do to give our students the tools they will need to acquire these more rigorous academic skills and to perform well on standardized assessments. We can teach Tier 2 academic vocabulary. We can work with other content experts to help students master content-specific vocabulary and knowledge. We can help students distinguish between casual, social speech and the more formal language of college and careers. We can teach the language of higher-order thinking skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving (Maxwell 2013).
For example, one method of incorporating social and academic language into a lesson is to present students with two documents: one using formal language and the other informal. The content should be similar and should allow students to identify the differences in language, presentation, and purpose.
Helping a student achieve English language proficiency, while simultaneously delivering discipline-specific instruction presents challenges to educators. Students do not learn to communicate in carefully segmented blocks, but in a fluid, ongoing process that develops over time (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 2012). We, as educators, need to carefully consider different strategies to adapt a standards-based education to accommodate such a wide range of abilities and understanding.
The shift toward heightened expectations of ELL students is a welcome reform. The goal of immersing ELL students in academic content as early as possible is laudable; but it is important to accommodate these students, and for educators to develop assessments that accurately reflect the abilities of ELLs. It is only then that the achievement gap can be identified, solutions can be discussed, and new strategies can be implemented.
If our state adopts rigorous and broad standards, we must support students and educators in meeting them. According to a 2011 American Community Survey, the number of Americans who speak a language other than English at home “is now 20.8 percent—fully one-fifth of all people living in the U.S” (Badger 2013). The implementation of more rigorous standards must be accompanied by the allocation of additional resources. Only then will we be able to prepare all of our students, whatever their first language, to become highly functioning members of our knowledge society.
References
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2012). Fulfilling the promise of the Common Core State Standards. Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lCguMXWlKL4J:educore.ascd.org/res ource/download/get.ashx%3Fguid%3D1d60f46d-b786-41d1-b059- 95a7c4eda420+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Badger, E. (2013, August 6). Where 60 million people in the U.S don’t speak English at home. The Atlantic Cities. http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2013/08/geography- americas-many-languages/6438/
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ColorinColorado. (2014). Academic language and English language learners. Retrieved from http://www.colorincolorado.org/webcasts/academiclanguage/
Cruz, M. C. (2004). Can English language learners acquire academic English? Retrieved from http://www.csun.edu/~krowlands/Content/Academic_Resources/Language/About%20Language/ Cruz-ELL%20Academic%20Language.pdf
Illinois State University. (2014). Session 4: Academic vocabulary. Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:yskdQMgepukJ:education.illinoisstate .edu/downloads/casei/AV-3-2-14%2520academic-vocabulary-6-12-ela-content-area- teachers.ppt+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Lu, A. (2014). States reconsider Common Core tests. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved from http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/states-reconsider-common-core- tests-85899535255
Maxwell, L. (2012, April 23). Language demands to grow for ELLs under new standards. Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/04/25/29cs- ell.h31.html
Maxwell, L. (2013, January 15). Three districts test model Common-Core unit for ELLs. Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/01/16/17ellstanford_ep.h32.html
Murphy, P., Regenstein, E., & McNamara, K. (2012). Putting a price tag on the Common Core: How much will smart implementation cost? Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Retrieved from: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zDdlil7L9s4J:files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ ED532509.pdf+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
National Conference of State Legislatures. (2014). Costs associated with the Common Core State Standard. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/common-core-state- standards-costs.aspx
National Council of Teachers of English. (2008). English language learners. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCoQFjAA &url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncte.org%2Flibrary%2FNCTEFiles%2FResources%2FPolicyResea rch%2FELLResearchBrief.pdf&ei=XHEOU7vTObLQsATMyoGAAg&usg=AFQjCNFlbkkyWn55- dRTIlTNW5Awb2-_XA&sig2=n6EKifqcao1jxwYXoehKbw&bvm=bv.61965928,d.cWc (ELL)
The National Institute for Health and Human Development. (2005). Autism overview, what we know. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED486273
Plank, D. (2011). ELL assessment: One size does not fit all. Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/08/31/02plank.h31.html
Robertson, K. (2006). Increasing academic language knowledge for English language learner success. Retrieved from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/13347/
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