Academic Language in Lesson Plans
Time for a review of Academic Language in Lesson Plan design and construction.
Defining Terms: Academic language utilized in Lesson Plans is the formal vocabulary, grammar, and structural conventions required to acquire and express complex ideas in educational and professional settings (Khan, 2025). Academic language (AL) is the oral and written language used for academic purposes. AL is the “language of the discipline” (Khan, 2025), used to engage students in learning and includes the means by which students develop and express content understandings. In a Lesson Plan, Academic Language provides a consistent framework e formal, discipline-specific Lesson Plan literacy required for instructional practices, methods, and strategies.
The concept and terminology of the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE). Academic Language originated at is a foundational concept frequently cited in teacher preparation and performance assessments, particularly within the edTPA frameworks used by teaching candidates nationwide. [1, 2]
As an example, Academic Language in a Lesson Plan specifies who is implementing the instructions strategies (“the teacher will…”) and who is receiving and applying the instructional methods and strategies (“the student will…”).
Additional examples are found in the handout from Concordia University, Nebraska (2024) and Dr. Laraib Khan’s work at San Jose State University.
References
Concordia University, Nebraska (2024). Understanding Academic Language in EDTPA. https://wp.cune.edu/educationdepartment/files/2024/07/edTPA_AL_SEH.pdf
Khan, L. (2025). Academic Language. San José State University Writing Center. www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter
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