Academic language includes content area vocabulary, syntax and discourse. While students may develop language in their daily environment, only classroom instruction can develop academic language skills. As teachers, we need to model correct applications of academic language, and also provide outlets for students to process inputs and practice outputs.
For example, in math, teachers can read aloud place values such as five and seventy-two hundredths, rather than five point seven two. Having discussions and using vocabulary, as well as academic discourse, will allow students with expressive and receptive language to demonstrate their content learning. Building students' vocabulary helps us to create higher-level critical thinking skills and to develop advanced thinking processes.