Robin Glicksberg

2/8/16
ED228S
Content Literacy Analysis
Literature Review
According to Dutro and Kinsella, Academic language refers to the
specialized vocabulary, grammar, discourse/textual, and functional skills
associated with academic instruction and mastery of academic materials and
tasks (English Language Development: Implementation at Grades Six
Through Twelve 2). In other words, academic language is the language used
in the school system that allows students to learn and acquire an
understanding of the subject at hand. It is essential to a students academic
success. Academic language can be tailored to specific subject areas. Each
individual content area requires knowledge of individualized concepts.
Additionally, content literacy goes hand in hand with academic language for
it refers to a students ability to read and write on a certain subject. My
specific content area is Secondary English-Language Arts. Some key ideas to
know about academic language are: it is different from everyday language, it
includes language that is necessary to participate in learning and
assessment exercises, and it can take the form of many genres.
With academic language, there are many factors that can inhibit
comprehension. People may not be aware, but culture can pose a major
difficulty in literature comprehension. Everyone has a different cultural
background and The degree to which readers share the same cultural
background affects the degree to which they can comprehend the text (The

Calla Handbook 288). People should not be punished based on their cultural
background. English classes are filled with stories meaning teachers must
pay particular attention to possible cultural miscommunications.
Another area of difficulty is vocabulary. When it comes to literature and
other authentic texts, readers will come across unfamiliar words, such as
words that are unusual or poetic, words used in a new way, used
metaphorically, and words which have fallen into disuse in contemporary
English (The Calla Handbook 289). Educators must remember that Native
English speakers will struggle with these words, and English as a second
language students (ESL) may be so overwhelmed by the vocabulary that
comprehension is almost impossible.
Language function and structure also poses a problem for many
students. When it comes to this content area, The functions of literary text
are more varied than for any other content area, and many include (in
addition to describing and narrating) persuading, entertaining, and teaching
values. Functions, structures, vocabulary, and cultural concepts are
interwoven in literary texts to form a complete message in which the author
speaks in a highly personal way, and the reader comprehends in an equally
personal way (The Calla Handbook 290). Students often struggle with
comprehension if they do not have the appropriate knowledge of background
information. In addition to reading, students also struggle with composition.
Writing in response to a reading requires the student to be able to
understand the text to a level where they can interpret it and form opinions

on it. Comprehension is more than being able to repeat what a text is saying.
Additionally, ESL students may have a different discourse style, which can
cause a disruption in communication.
One final area of difficultly when it comes to academic language is
reading and writing strategies. Teachers must keep in mind that ESL students
in relation to reading may rely on bottom-up or word-by-word processing
strategies exclusively and may not take advantage of top-down strategies
such as using background information about the topic (elaborating prior
knowledge) or making inferences as unfamiliar words and phrases are
encountered (The Calla Handbook 291). Additionally, in relation to writing,
ESL students may not know how to plan and sequence their ideas before
writing (organizational planning) or conduct memory searches which include
knowledge and experience gained through their first language (elaborating
prior knowledge) (The Calla Handbook 291). In other words, ESL students
may be at a disadvantage when it comes to reading because they simply are
in the dark on a certain subject and dont have the necessary skills to
approach unfamiliar ideas. Additionally, they may not have been taught to
write the same way the teacher learned to write, which can cause
miscommunication between the two.
Tracy G. Spies agrees that language and comprehension go hand in
hand.
In her professional opinion, In order for students not only to comprehend
but also analyze and evaluate texts across disciplines, they need a deep

understanding of how a text is structured and the language used by the

author to convey meaning (Utilizing Discourse in the Development of
Strategic Readers in the Content Areas 138). Essentially, meaning is drawn
from the authors choice of language and language structure. If a student is
to understand an authors story, they must first be able to understand the
language used by the author.
Katherine E. Misulis acknowledges that content literacy and
understanding academic language relies on more than just vocabulary and
language structure. She notes, Teachers also need in-depth understanding
of their students, especially the extent of the prior knowledge they bring to
the learning situation. It is also important to identify the skills and
competencies students need in order for them to be successful learners of
the content associated with subject matter instruction (Promoting Learning
through Content Literacy Instruction 13). Teaching is a two-way street.
Students need to learn from the teacher, but the teacher also needs to learn
from and about the student to best help him or her learn.
Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey touch on the fact that when it comes to
content literacy, teachers are superior to their students because of their prior
knowledge of the subject. They propose Secondary teachers of content
possess a great deal of advanced knowledge about their subjectAs novices
to a subject, adolescents need strategies for organizing that knowledge in
ways that experts do not (Student and Teacher Perspectives on the
Usefulness of Content Literacy Strategies 260). Teachers are responsible for

taking their content information and presenting it in a way that is easily

understandable for the students. (Fisher & Frey, 2008) (Spies) (Misulis, 2009)

Academic Language Challenges (The Lottery)

Challenges
Difficult vocabulary

Incorrect grammar

Culture

Sentence structure

Text Examples

Profusely
Reluctantly
Preceded
Perfunctory
Murmur
Paraphernalia
on June 2th. but in this
sos we can go back
post office. and sometimes
speaking of planting and rain,
tractors and taxes
corn be heavy soon
was ready; there were stones
on

Additional academic language challenges:

Understanding instructional language (for participation in learning and

assessment exercises)
Being able to interpret/construct text
Being able to use connector words
Understanding grammatical structures
Creating complex arguments through text organization
Listening comprehension
Being able to support ideas (lack of comprehension)
Being able to summarize (lack of comprehension)

What I have learned about academic language and content literacy

development

I think the number one lesson I have learned about academic language
and content literacy development is that it can become harmful to the
students learning if it goes by unacknowledged by the teacher. Academic
language and content literacy play a major role in a students comprehension
of school material. As middle or secondary teachers, it is easy to assume
that students have already learned everything they need to know about
language and literacy. That is false. Odds are, the majority of students in a
teachers class will be at different levels of academic language development.
Its the teachers job to acknowledge this and help the students where they
see fit. We have studied our content areas for years, which gives us a large
advantage over our students when it comes to content comprehension. Its
our responsibility to develop teaching and learning strategies to help our
students make sense of the material and help them develop the necessary
language skills to further learning. Its especially important as English
teachers, when it comes to reading stories-fictional or nonfictional-, to judge
where our students are at with prior knowledge. As teachers, we dont know
what our students backgrounds are. We dont know the stories theyve been
told, or the education theyve acquired up to this point. Before any lesson,
we must adequately equip our students with the background knowledge
necessary for comprehension. Without proper prior knowledge, an easy-tounderstand story can become almost impossible to make sense of.

Works Cited

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Student and Teacher Perspectives on the
Usefulness of
Content Literacy Strategies. Literacy Research and
Instruction , 47 (4), 246-263.
Misulis, K. (2009). Promoting Learning through Content Literacy Instruction .
American Secondary Education , 37 (3), 10-19.
Spies, T. Utilizing Discourse in the Development of Strategic Readers in the
Content Areas.
Intervention in School and Clinic , 51 (3), 137-144.