The moderating influence of instructional intensity and word type on the acquisition of academic vocabulary in young English language learners

Oral Language Intervention in Norwegian Schools Serving Young Language‐Minority Learners: A Randomized Trial

“…Although we did not assess content learning per se, we believe this theoretical framework may be useful in generating instructional strategies that support not only language learning but also language-mediated learning by unlocking access to the curriculum for young L2 learners. Curriculum-aligned instruction to support oral language learning and language-mediated content learning is in agreement with previous research that found effects when applying curriculum-related topics with adequate support (Weiland & Yoshikawa, 2013), the use of an educative curriculum (Fantuzzo et al, 2011;Neuman et al, 2015), the teaching of highly frequent words relevant across subjects (Lawrence et al, 2012;, and the use of embedded and extended instruction (August et al, 2016(August et al, , 2018. This emphasis is also in line with recent research that viewed classroom talk as a cornerstone approach for providing language support for L2 learners (Phillips Galloway & Lesaux, 2017).…”

“…In addition to providing students with multiple exposures to oral language skills, the use of visual material was another key component. Adapting vocabulary programs for monolingual students to support the needs of language‐minority learners is typically characterized by using visual aids (August et al., ; Silverman; ). In addition, the teachers participating in the pilot expressed the need for visual support materials that they could use to help students develop oral language skills and that allowed pointing as a participatory strategy for students who did not yet have the language skills to participate verbally.…”

“…In recent years, curricular approaches have become an important part of language interventions, from prekindergarten to elementary school (August, Artzi, & Barr, 2016;August, Artzi, Barr, & Francis, 2018;Fantuzzo, Gadsen, & McDermott, 2011;Weiland & Yoshikawa, 2013;Wilson, Dickinson, & Rowe, 2013). These curriculum-aligned approaches are usually characterized by language-learning strategies combined with school-relevant topics and instruction, which are adaptable to students' needs.…”

“…Furthermore, studies of the effects of instruction on academic vocabulary in curricular contexts reported that both extended (explicit, rich, and depth descriptions) and embedded instruction (incorporated descriptions of words after being presented in textbooks) were beneficial for language-minority learners, with the former being the most efficient (August et al, 2016(August et al, , 2018. Moreover, teaching words that frequently appeared across subject areas to students in grades 6-8 enhanced their language growth immediately following the intervention (Snow, Lawrence, & White, 2009), a result that was maintained in two follow-up assessments (Lawrence, Capotosto, Branum-Martin, White, & Snow, 2012).…”

“…The intervention had an effect on taught vocabulary but not on other measures. In addition to these findings, the use of reinforcement (i.e., several word encounters through multiple activities after the first exposure) and repetition (i.e., recycling words) has been reported to be effective with language-minority learners (August et al, 2018;Carlo et al, 2004;Roberts & Neal, 2004;Silverman, 2007). Although these results are promising, experimentally based evidence on how to support a broad scope of L2 oral skills in languageminority-only samples is sparse.…”