ABSTRACT
An important component of teaching literacy to second language learners is to teach language. Students need language to access and express ideas. Depending on age, level of proficiency, and extent of stay in the country, students will have different needs. Older more recent arrivals may have difficulty with phonology (sound system) while younger learners master this aspect of language early on. Teachers should be aware that nativelike pronunciation does not mean full mastery of the language, especially the academic register required in schools. This academic language develops through reading (chap. 3), writing (chap. 4), oral language (chap. 5), and content area (chap. 7). In this chapter we focus on approaches that support development of vocabulary and grammatical structures. Students who are new to English will have to develop this language from scratch. Those who have some fluency in English or who are native speakers of the language of instruction, will need the vocabulary and complex structures more typical of literacy events, either oral or written.
