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This principle is vital within my own classroom 

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This principle is vital within my own classroom 

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as students do a lot of collaborative work/performance activities that require them to brainstorm, create, and walk through a process together using both their verbal and performance skills. These social interactions strengthen the learner’s ability to identify new language/vocabulary and apply it to future evaluations.

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in a school setting can include think-pair-share, small group activities, large class discussions, and encouraging students to join extracurricular

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are used in everyday situations such as conversation, a quick expression of ideas, on the spot self-assessment of learning, and spoken interactions/greetings.
“Proper grammar is not mandatory. It is often short-hand in written form. It may contain ‘slang’.” (Chan)

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are used in interviews or evaluations and make use of word banks that are building vocabulary, applying new knowledge, and have a strong focus on formal text or verbal communication.
“Proper grammar is required and expected. It is formal and structured.” (Chan)

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the opportunity for students to test the waters and assess their own learning alongside the thoughts of their peers by comparing their own perspectives and ideas. Social interactions could also allow students to test our new language idioms on their peers to understand what is appropriate for the classroom.

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about language learning exist for a variety of reasons but by focusing on the individual learner and allowing your students to interact in a variety of ways, both social and formal, they can build language skills, grow their confidence, and create a stronger sense of community within the classroom.

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Chan, Hermine. (2021). The difference between Conversational and Academic English. SFU Library, Simon Fraser University.

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Published by Hermine Chan

What if I told you English wasn't just...English?

When you are fluent, switching gears between a casual conversation and a formal presentation may feel natural. The same goes for writing. For some English Additional Language (EAL) learners, the differences between these "types" of English can cause a real headache.

And sometimes, it's not just a headache -- it can come as a shock.

My new work colleague is a highly educated professional from a Middle Eastern country. They are fluent and confident in their formal presentations about regulatory frameworks and environmental audits. Their reports are well-written and highlight their expertise. A few weeks ago, I complimented their fluency and confidence despite being a very new Canadian immigrant.

Suddenly, they made the following admission:

"Writing essays and doing presentations is easy. But now I know... speaking to people, in conversations? It's so hard and I don't know how to do it."

My colleague explained they spent years learning English in school and decades completing academic work in English. However, they rarely had exposure to casual conversations, slang, or idioms. It made the everyday world and workplace unexpectedly daunting. Even texting seemed overwhelming and mind-boggling.

I was humbled by their honesty. It also piqued my curiosity and inspired this question: What are the differences between so-called "conversational" and "academic" English?

Here are a few differences:

Social use of English in casual conversation, social media, virtual messages. This is our "everyday" language.

Formal use of English in professional or academic settings, for a variety of purposes. These may include presentations, essays, or reports.

Face-to-face conversations, texting, social gatherings.

School, professional or corporate workplace, interviews.

Proper grammar is not mandatory. It is often short-hand in written form. It may contain "slang".

Proper grammar is required and expected. It is formal and structured.

Adapted from Conversation vs. Academic English: What Are the Differences?, by Thienan Nguyen, 2017. In the public domain.

It is important to recognize that Conversational and Academic English are not necessarily two distinct languages. In addition, the differences between Conversational and Academic English exist on a scale rather than distinct categories. Thus, there are subjective perspectives as to how casual or formal one's English should be in a particular setting. And of course, context is everything. For example, one's use of vocabulary may depend on the social setting or academic discipline.

Sometimes you may find yourself hesitating or struggling to find the right words (and we all do, trust me!). It is important to remember that this is a normal and very common feeling. Here are some examples of what to do when trying to decide what word(s) to use in a situation:

Keep it simple. It is better to err on the side of caution. In this case, this means keeping it simple. In academia, we often get lost in complex terminology and feel pressured to imitate the writing we see in research papers we don't fully understand. If you don't know what word to use, remember that there is no point in using "fancy", complicated, or big words if you're uncertain about their true meaning and context.

Ask the listener. If you are talking to someone in real-time, there is no harm in asking them if the word you used was an appropriate choice. This may be daunting for some (including myself) and it depends if you are comfortable with the other person. However, it is effective for getting immediate feedback and sparking further conversation. This approach also makes it easier to understand which words to use in the future because you are still in the context.

Read aloud to yourself. This technique is gold for many situations--drafting a text message, email, resume, or essay. Read your writing out loud and think about the situation. Is it casual or formal? Is shorthand or slang acceptable? If someone sent, handed in, or mentioned this word to you in this context, would you be caught off-guard or confused? If it doesn't sound like it "fits", try replacing it with another word.

All of this might feel intimidating -- one's ability to blend in fluently will certainly come with time and a lot of practice. Do not hesitate to reach out for support from your peers, professors, mentors, or community members (while observing safe social distancing). As always, the Student Learning Commons is here to support your success.

Source: McCarthy, M., Matthiessen, C., & Slade, D. (2010). Discourse Analysis. In N. Schmitt (Ed)., An introduction to applied linguistics (2nd ed., pp. 53-69). Hodder Education.

The cline (continuum) between spoken and written discourse (text version)

Informal spoken English to formal written English:

Casual conversation: cosy chat with a close friend

E-mail to a friend

Letter to an acquaintance

Conversation with a manager at work

Job interview

Public speech

Written academic article

~Angelica Y.

SFU Library. English as an Additional Language (EAL) Support Services.

Colorín Colorado. (n.d.). What Is the Difference Between Social and Academic English?
Nguyen, Thienan. (2017, October 27).Conversational vs. Academic English: What Are the Differences? Everest Education.

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The difference between Conversational and Academic English

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Published by Hermine Chan What if I told you English wasn't just...English? When you are fluent, switching gears between a casual conversation and a formal presentation may feel natural. The same goes for writing. For some English Additional Language (EAL) learners, the differences between these "types" of English can cause a real headache.

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Hurst, B., Wallace, R., & Nixon, S. B. (2013). The Impact of Social Interaction on Student Learning. Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts, 52 (4)

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Practical implications of social interactions

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Practical implications of social interactions

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building language skills can be the understanding of more formal terms through examples and peer discussion. Some formal language, like Latin-based vocabulary and acronyms, do not resonate with an ELLs home language and the use of social interactions in the classroom can reinforce this new learning through peer support. Encouraging a strong community within the classroom allows for students to make sure they cover all areas of language learning: reading, writing, listening, and speaking (Hurst et al, 377).

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Some common misconceptions that are completely blown apart by principle 3 include:

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Some common misconceptions that are completely blown apart by principle 3 include:

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There is only one way to learn a new language → every learner learns a different way and by creating an equitable learning environment each student can carve their own path that suits them best

Immersion through listening is as effective as speaking → it is vital to allow students to focus on all four streams of learning a new language as the application of knowledge allows for understanding

Some formal vocabulary is simply out of reach for ELLs → time and application of new knowledge will allow the learner to discover the roots of any formal language while understanding how it shapes the new vocabulary