This document provides an overview of the LCRT 5810: Workshop in Language Development & Acquisition course. It introduces the professor, Sherry Taylor, and gives details about the course sessions, readings, assignments, and expectations. The hybrid course consists of both in-person and online class sessions over the semester. It aims to examine language development and acquisition in relation to literacy development through a case study analysis where students will collect and analyze language samples. The required texts are Linguistic Perspectives on Language and Education and Ways With Words, and additional readings are available online.

1. WELCOME to LCRT 5810:
Workshop in Language Development &
Acquisition
PROFESSOR:
Sherry Taylor. Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Literacy, Language & Culturally
Responsive Teaching Program
GETTING STARTED:
• Sign in your attendance
& Get a name tag
• Find a seat & introduce
yourself to those around
you.
• Peruse the questions
located in the center of
the table & share your
responses with those
sitting near you.
• We will get started at
9:00

2. Class Session #1, August 23rd
• Introductions
• Considering language & linguistics
• Syllabus & Course Overview
• Textbooks & Readings
• Examining Language in the Classroom Assignment
• Case Study Overview
• Learner Background Assignment
• Home/School Match-Mismatch
• Ways With Words Introduction
• Next Session

3. Professor
Information &
Introduction
Sherry Taylor. Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Literacy, Language & Culturally
Responsive Teaching Program
AREAS of STUDY:
• Bilingual/Bicultural Elementary Education
• Applied Linguistics/TESOL (K-12 & adult)
• Second Language Acquisition/Spanish Linguistics
AREAS of TEACHING
• PK-12 Teaching in the areas of Literacy, Language,
ESL in: Illinois, Colorado & Guanajuato &
Michoacan, MX
• Adult ESL/EFL: Colorado, Ohio & Guanajuato, MX
• Spanish as a foreign language: Ohio State
University
• Teacher Education: Ohio State University,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, CU Denver
RESEARCH INTERESTS
• Teachers’ cognition and culturally responsive
teaching
• Transitions & literacy challenges of US- born
Mexican children returning to Mexican schools

4. + Introductions
Let’s do a quick ‘whip around’ to
find out what you teach and where you work.
Now form a group of four-ish.
Introduce yourselves and share a
little more about your professional context and
any personal context you desire.

5. LANGUAGE
Thinking about what you know & howyou use it

6. Consider your own
use of
language
Everyday, we use language in a variety of social
contexts & cultural contexts.
Think about 1 day last week
Discuss the way you spoke and used written
language at work, e.g., with your students, your
colleagues, and an administrator.
Discuss the ways you speak and use written
language in your personal life, e.g., at home, at
play, in social media, and with family members.

7. As you reflect on your language use, how does your
language varywhen you change contexts &
conversation partners?
And, as your role changes?

8. Thinking about
language & your
involvement with it
Clearly, you are a user of language!
But you are also an observer of language!
• What does it mean to be an observer of
language?
• How might you define an observer of
language?
• In what ways and for what purposes do
teachers observe language?

9. Consider the following questions that will
organize our discussions in LCRT 5810 :
• What is human language?
• How do we learn or acquire it?
• Why does human language take the form
it does?

10. Reflecting on the Interview Questions
(on table tops)
• What do you think language is?
• How did YOU answer the other
questions about language?
• How would YOUR STUDENTS answer
the questions?

11. What is language?
How do we learn or acquire it?
Children are language learners by virtue of being born into
human society.
They construct knowledge about language as they use it
to engage with the people and objects in their
environments and as they
use language to make sense of their surroundings.
(Halliday, 1975).
http://youtu.be/_JmA2ClUvUY

12. Research tells us that all
languages share linguistic
universals, such as:
❏ Language expresses meaning through sounds made in the
vocal tract (barring impairment or obstacles to the use of
sound);
❏ Children learn language in the speech community where they
are raised with little or no direct instruction by the adults;
❏ Discourse patterns are learned by children at home & in their
community (e.g., how to ask Qs, make requests, tell stories, etc.) (Barry, 2008)

13. Do you AGREE or
DISAGREE?
1. Language is dynamic (not static);
2. Languages – and dialects - have regular structures and
a predictable set of rules or a grammar);
3. Language is used primarily for communication;
4. Language speakers have a language competence that
may not always be reflected in their spoken language.
(Barry, chapter 1, 2008)
Take time to think about these -We will return to them!

14. Syllabus Overview

15. LCRT 5810 Class sessions
LCRT 5810 is a hybrid course consisting of 9 class
sessions:
• Five face-to-face sessions meet in Lawrence
Street Center, Room 745 on the following dates:
Aug. 23; Sept. 20; Oct. 18; Nov. 1 & 15th (9am to
3:30pm) (No class on Sept. 13!)
• Four online sessions that meet: Following the
first four face-to-face class sessions; See Course
Calendar for specific dates.

16. Professor
Sherry Taylor. Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Literacy, Language & Culturally
Responsive Teaching Program
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email:
Sherry.taylor@ucdenver.edu
Tel:
303-315-4998
Office hours/meetings: By appointment
on Mondays and Wednesdays or when is
convenient for you.

17. + LCRT 5810
• The purpose of this class is for teachers to
examine language development and
acquisition in relation to literacy development.
• After you examine your own language, the
majority of our work and learning will revolve
around a case study where you will collect oral
language, reading, and writing samples and
analyze these data using linguistic systems.

18. LCRT 5810 addresses K-12
language & literacy
development
WHY?
Course focus/accreditation
Reading Teacher (PLACE test is K-12):
For teachers working with students and supporting
their needs in reading, writing, and language.
Regardless of what grade level you
currently teach: You need to have an overall
knowledge of literacy development, instruction,
curriculum & assessment for K-12.

19. Required Texts
Linguistic Perspectives on Language
and Education (LP)
Written by a professor of linguistics
Will help us get deeper into understanding
language systems
Ways With Words: Language, Life, and
Work in Communities and Classrooms
(WWW)
Written in narrative style
Examines language development of two
different communities at home and at school
Additional readings in PDFs available on
CANVAS.

20. APA Writing Style
• It is strongly recommended that you also
purchase the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (6th ed.)
OR Robert Perrin’s Pocket guide to APA style.
(4th ed. 2011, ISBN-100495912638). You will
need to follow APA style for academic writing
in the Lesson Report & Analysis assignment.
• LCRT 5810: In-class Workshop on APA by CU
Denver Writing Center (in September)

21. Syllabus and Course Calendar
• Take the next few minutes
to peruse the syllabus &
course calendar on your
own.
• Note any questions that
you may have.
• We will review the
assignments and course
calendar together.

22. + Holy Cow! That’s A LOT of Reading!
OR
How do I read for this class?
• I recognize that this class has a lot of reading (and writing).
• I encourage you to use the reading style that best fits you
as a learner.
• Be sure to use text coding, skimming, and scanning as you
read the texts required for the class.