Strategies to Bolster Academic English Language Use
and Lesson Engagement in Linguistically Diverse Classrooms

--Led by Kate Kinsella--

        Teachers in mixed-ability, linguistically diverse classrooms readily agree that a significant instructional challenge is eliciting a dynamic response from students who are under-prepared with academic language and content foundations and accustomed to a relatively passive learning role. All too often, the only individual in the classroom actively engaging in confident and competent academic discourse is the teacher. To become proficient users of academic language, English learners and struggling readers need rigorous, explicit vocabulary instruction and conscientiously structured and accountable daily contexts to apply and respond to target lesson content using appropriate lesson terms and syntax.
        Drawing upon relevant scholarship and extensive experience in linguistically diverse K-12 and college contexts, Dr. Kinsella will identify components of instructional front-loading that responsibly prepares students for the conceptual and linguistic demands of challenging lesson content.  She will introduce a framework for analyzing the lexical demands of lesson content and demonstrate research-informed strategies for effectively teaching critical vocabulary. She will guide participants through highly structured discussion and interaction scaffolds that integrate vital skill preparation in appropriate academic language.  Of equal importance, these participation structures hold all students accountable for active thinking, listening and responding, while providing the teacher with tangible “evidence checks” of lesson engagement and comprehension.  Participants will observe compelling lesson footage that illustrates the         cognitive and social merits of these interaction structures.  Colleagues will leave with detailed implementation guidelines, classroom observation tools, and practical reproducible materials to begin immediately designing lessons that more democratically engage and support English learners with diverse abilities and challenges.  
        Kate Kinsella will provide TESOL educators with an informed and sustainable “tool kit” of research-based strategies that bolster vocabulary knowledge, communicative competence, reading comprehension and writing proficiency in linguistically diverse classrooms..

Classroom Management and Engagement
• Guidelines for preparing students for the linguistic demands of classroom interaction
• Techniques to structure dynamic and democratic classroom discussions
• Practical strategies to ensure responsible contributions and active listening

Academic Vocabulary Development
• High-frequency word lists to inform selection of vocabulary for robust instruction
• Guidelines for selecting vocabulary to teach at critical lesson phases
• Strategies to introduce central lesson concepts and build background knowledge
• Strategies to pre-teach high priority academic “tool kit” vocabulary
• Strategies that build word consciousness and word attack skills
• Academic vocabulary study methods
• Practical and efficient generative vocabulary assessments