The academic language of college-bound at-risk secondary students: Self-assessment, proficiency levels, and effects of language development instruction

There is general agreement among educators and researchers that unfamiliarity with the distinct type of English used in the classroom, referred to as academic language, is a contributing factor to the academic failure of at-risk minority and language-minority secondary and postsecondary students.;The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic language and indicators of academic success for secondary students. The target group studied was a sample of 62 college-bound secondary students who were enrolled in an Upward Bound program at Fresno City College. Upward Bound, a federally-funded program, provides enrichment experiences for at-risk, low-income students. The program goal is to improve the academic performance and motivation of students by providing after school tutorial sessions, Saturday enrichment courses during the school year, and a 6-week summer enrichment program.;The study addressed four research questions: (a) How well prepared are college-bound secondary minority students to handle academic language tasks they will encounter in college? (b) How are students' academic language skills related to their high school grades and standardized test scores? (c) How aware are students of their academic language needs, the academic culture they will enter, and the demands of the college curriculum? (d) What effects does an academic language instructional program have on language development, student high school performance, and student awareness of their needs for being successful in college?;Results of the study indicated that students were generally underprepared in academic language proficiency. Their standardized test scores did not correlate with the school success indicators (GPA, number of failing grades, and absences), However, these standardized test scores did show moderate positive correlations with the academic language assessment. Few of the school indicators showed any relationship with academic language proficiency scores. Students generally overestimated their actual language skills. The academic language curriculum resulted in significant increases in proficiency levels and important positive improvements in students' attitudes toward school and understanding of their need for preparation for college. Students developed very favorable attitudes towards the academic language curriculum and reported that it helped their grades and comprehension in their regular high school courses.