Are You Lactating: On the Importance of Academic Language

Are You Lactating: On the Importance of Academic Language

Timothy Shanahan

On the Importance of Academic Language
Awhile back, it was big news when a translator for the deaf and hard of hearing at Nelson Mandela's funeral didn't know sign language. The "translator" was very entertaining; his improvised "signs" displayed exuberance, but not meaning.
It reminded me of when the Dairy Council tried to translate their "Got Milk" advertising campaign into Spanish. Their translator lacked ample language expertise and the slogan came out, "Are you lactating?" Probably not the best way to sell milk!
Language is essential to learning and communication, so it should not be a surprise that academic language or academic vocabulary is important. References to these concepts are growing in the professional literature. Increasing numbers of commercial programs aimed at nurturing these skills and state educational standards, including the Common Core State Standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010), have embraced the idea.

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