Empowering hispanics in higher education through the operationalization of academic English strategies

Abstract

Incorporating purposeful academic English strategies into higher education promotes equitable access to instruction and supports understanding through different perspectives and experiences. This is especially true for Hispanics (which refers here to anyone from a Spanish-speaking background). Because the perspectives and experiences of the Hispanic student population is so diverse, approaches for operationalizing academic English should include the following: viewing the various language backgrounds of Hispanic students as opportunity rather than deficit; using a holistic approach to assess content and academic English proficiency of students; creating academic supports that weave together content knowledge and skills, literacy, and academic English; and using instructional practices that facilitate the understanding and application of academic English. Academic English strategies encompass both cognitive engagement and expressions of knowledge within the subject. A single definition of academic English does not yet exist, but research has identified academic English proficiency as a key factor in higher education attainment. The expectations vary by discipline (e.g., mathematics or English) and by maturity and experience in the discipline. However, including a focus on the linguistic structural dimensions of discourse, sentence complexity, and vocabulary can provide effective support for strengthening academic English. The operationalization of academic English should be a core component of academic support systems in higher education, resulting in higher college achievement.