Article 4: Why is Language So Important for Learning?
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s her students make their way into her class, settle into their seats, and pull out notebooks and tablets, the teacher poses a question for the students to consider: “How are we violating a person when we deny them the right to vote?” It is a provocative and effective conversation starter among a classroom full of school-aged children and a way for the teacher to assess whether or not her students can pick a position and convincingly substantiate their opinions. Participating successfully in a classroom discussion such as this requires a broad range of language skills. To actively and effectively engage in a classroom debate, a student must use their thinking skills (evaluation, judgment, reason), find the right words to articulate their position, create a series of clear sentences that capture their logic, hold on to the argument while listening critically to others, and support their argument when the classmates challenge it with questions and counterarguments. The demands of classroom discourse are not altogether different from what’s called for during a lively dinner table conversation or an exchange with teammates on the playing field. For a typically developing child, all of these experiences draw on and simultaneously reinforce the development of their language skills. For a child with language impairment, however, these skills do not develop at the same pace as their peers, which can have a deep impact on their school experience. “People hear the word ‘language,’ and they think French, German, Italian,” says Lydia H. Soifer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Staff Developer at The Gateway School. “Language is a remarkable gift given to us. Yet, we rarely think about it because no one’s parents teach the particulars, such as ‘add an “s” to a word when you mean more than one.’ Parents just talk with their children and correct the obvious mistakes. But when your child cannot learn the details of his or her language independently, it will lead to trouble learning in school. School is all about language no matter what subject is being taught.” In 1978, Lois Bloom and Margaret Lahey published their seminal book on language development. They conceptualized language as comprising three separate but overlapping components: content, form, and use.
Content encompasses our knowledge and ideas about the world, concepts, and words. Vocabulary and all that we know about words and their connections, called semantics, make up language content. For example, content includes everything from the items that belong on the dinner table such as ‘glass,’ ‘napkin,’ or ‘fork,’ and the purpose of a meal which might be ‘nutrition,’ ‘family,’ or ‘socialization,’ to what is learned in the Humanities class referred to earlier. ‘Violation’ is a word, a world issue, and a concept. The student who can’t understand the definition, “the act of violating someone or something,” won’t be able to distinguish or easily distinguish the magnitude of different types of violations (e.g., traffic ticket, hitting, denying a person’s rights). This limitation in understanding will be reflected in their world view. Ultimately, a child’s language content involves having something to say, to understand, to read, or to write. Form refers to the observable features of language, the parts that are easiest to hear and see. It describes the structure or rules for combining sounds into words and stringing words together to form sentences reflecting complete, logical thought. Language form is essential for speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Imagine, for example, taking a spelling dictation in a second grade reading class, writing an essay, or following homework instructions. Phonology, morpology (parts of words, e.g., ‘hats’), grammar, and syntax are central features of this domain. Form is the means by which we share our ideas when speaking, listening, reading, or writing. Use, also known as social or pragmatic communication, relies in part on the integration of content and form. It matters not only in a conversation with friends, but also in the academic setting. For example, it is important for comprehension when reading about a character’s intentions or analyzing an author’s purpose. When writing, it guides student intent, leading them to choose words for a persuasive argument that differ from those employed in a narrative. Language use is very complex and subtle. It is all the reasons we speak, attempt to understand, to read, or to write. As Heather Ironside, Director of Language and Literacy at The Gateway School, explains, “Use really draws the content and form together and is the highest goal of language to be an effective communicator.
Heather Ironside Director of Language and Literacy The Gateway School
The foundation of language and literacy upon which our mission was built has never faltered.
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