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So, now that we’ve reviewed why everyday Language Use matters, where do you begin? What does everyday Language Use look like day-to-day, and how can you start practicing it within your current circumstances?
The Classroom Assessment of Sociocultural Interactions (CASI) divides Language Use into four indicators: Instructional Discourse, Social Conversation, Students' Use, and Language Inclusion. The first two are teacher-focused, the third is student-focused, and the fourth is climate-focused. We’ll discuss each one in turn, giving you the definition, the rubric, and examples.
To what extent do you use everyday language (dialects, vernaculars, creoles, languages) while presenting lessons, leading discussions, or giving instructional feedback?
| Disconnected (1) | Somewhat Connected (3) | Well-Connected (5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
1a. Instructional Discourse
|
Teacher does not use everyday language in instructional discourse. | Teacher sometimes uses everyday language in instructional discourse. | Teacher often uses everyday language in instructional discourse. |
Standard: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction (NGSS.S.4.LS1.1).
Context: Mrs. Born is a fourth grade Title I teacher in Miami, Florida with a mix of Haitian, Brazilian, Latino, and White students. Mrs. Born is teaching a unit based on the structure and function of different plant and animal parts. She compares the external structure of a butterfly to that of a frog to demonstrate how organisms’ diverse structures help them survive.
Instructional Discourse (1): Mrs. Born displays pictures of a butterfly and a frog. She has students identify the similarities and differences between each organism. As Mrs. Born walks around the room she hears a student say that a butterfly has wings to help it get its food. Mrs. Born proceeds to show a video on butterflies and talks about how frogs are amphibians while butterflies are insects.
Instructional Discourse (2): Mrs. Born displays pictures of a butterfly and a frog. She has students identify the similarities and differences between each organism. As Mrs. Born walks around the room she hears a student say that a butterfly has wings to help it get its food. “Wassup, you got it!” she says, and proceeds to show a video on butterflies as she talks about how frogs are amphibians while butterflies are insects.
Instructional Discourse (3): Mrs. Born displays pictures of a butterfly and a frog. She has students identify the similarities and differences between each organism. As Mrs. Born walks around the room she hears a student say that a butterfly has wings to help it get its food. “Oh yeah, nice!” she says. She proceeds to show a video of a butterfly taken in Brazil, narrated with some Portuguese words, and talks about how frogs are amphibians while butterflies are insects.
Instructional Discourse (4): Mrs. Born displays pictures of a butterfly and a frog. Many of her students speak Portuguese, so she decides to write “butterfly” and “frog” in Portuguese and English on the board. She has students identify similarities and differences between a borboleta (butterfly) and a sapo (frog). As Mrs. Born walks around the classroom, she hears a student say, “Butterflies have wings to help it get its food.” She responds, “Hey, you right!” and talks about how frogs are amphibians while butterflies are insects.
Instructional Discourse (5): Mrs. Born displays pictures of a butterfly and a frog. Many of her students speak the Portuguese and Haitian Creole, so she decides to write “butterfly” and “frog” in Portuguese and English on the board. She has students identify the similarities and differences between a borboleta (butterfly) and a sapo (frog). As Mrs. Born walks around the room, she hears a student say that a borboleta has wings to help it get its food; she responds, “Sim! Boa!” (Yes, nice one!). A Haitian student shares that frogs are widely seen throughout Haiti, especially closer to the water. Mrs. Born thanks her student for sharing with a Creole word she learned: “mési.”
Which of the following is NOT a way Mrs. Born could incorporate students' everyday language into her own instruction?
To what extent do you use everyday language in social conversations with students, like expressing affection, discipline, or encouragement? What kind of everyday language do you use when talking to students one-on-one?
E.g., addressing a Latina student as mija, learning how to say “thank you” or explain classroom rules using Mandarin, or adopting elements of African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) while encouraging a Black student.
| Disconnected (1) | Somewhat Connected (3) | Well-Connected (5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
1b. Social Conversation
|
Teacher does not use everyday language for social conversation. | Teacher sometimes uses everyday language for social conversation. | Teacher often uses everyday language for social conversation |
Standard: Identify the role of religion in the development of human civilization (ICS.6-9.GWH.1.9).
Context: Miss Daniels is a sixth grade teacher at a Title 1 school in Boise, Idaho. She has a majority-white class with several African American students and children of South Asian refugees. They are studying how religion has affected the development of civilization. Miss Daniels is having the class discuss in groups the role religion has played in their own lives to activate their background knowledge.
Social Conversation (1): Miss Daniels walks around the room, listening in on the students’ conversations. As she walks around, she asks some of the students about their experiences. One student shares that growing up, religion was always part of her family culture. It affected the holidays they celebrated and how they spent their weekends. Miss Daniels thanks her students for being willing to share their experiences with her.
Social Conversation (2): As Miss Daniels walks around the room listening to conversations, she notices one student seems very nervous about sharing with the rest of her group. She knows this student has some anxiety about speaking in front of others. Miss Daniels walks up to her, puts a hand on her shoulder and whispers with a smile, “Get it girl, you got this!” She moves on and asks another student to share their experience with religion.
Social Conversation (3): Miss Daniels walks around the room and asks students about their experiences with religion. As she listens to some students discuss, she makes sure to thank them for being willing to share their experiences with the class. She learned how to say “Good job” in Vietnamese for one of her English learners to encourage her and help her feel welcome in the class. She also learned how to say “chair” in Vietnamese and uses it with a smile to remind one of her more excitable students where he should be during discussion time.
Social Conversation (4): As Miss Daniel walks around the room, she hears one boy say his family does not believe in religion so it has had no effect on his life. She approaches the student and says, “Let me aks you a question,” and proceeds to ask him about some words in the Constitution of the United States that refer to God. He thinks about his statement and decides his life is somewhat affected by religion. Miss Daniels smiles and says, “That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout, good thinking!”
Social Conversation (5): While students are discussing at their tables, Miss Daniels walks around the room, asking students about their experiences. She approaches a student from Vietnam, whom she greets in the little Vietnamese she has learned so far this year, and asks about her experience with religion. After she shares, Miss Daniels smiles and says, “Cám on ban” (thank you). When some students start talking too loud and Miss Daniels has to talk to them, she ends the interchange with, “We straight?” and the students nod their heads.
To what extent do your students initiate and reciprocate everyday language use with you or their peers? Is everyday language (e.g., home language, dialects) a normal part of their classroom conversations?
| Disconnected (1) | Somewhat Connected (3) | Well-Connected (5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
1c. Students' Use
|
Students do not use everyday language with teacher or peers. | Students sometimes use everyday language with teacher or peers. | Students often use everyday language with teacher and peers. |
Standard: Understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). Recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories (CCSS.Math.Content.3.G.A.).
Context: Mr. Robles is a third grade teacher in the Bronx, New York. He teaches a class of mostly Puerto Rican students with some Latino and African American students. His class is learning about 2D shapes and how to identify quadrilaterals.
Students’ Use (1): Students are sorting different shapes in groups and identifying which shapes are quadrilaterals. Students discuss which shapes are quadrilaterals based on their attributes. As students sort shapes, Mr. Robles reminds them that quadrilaterals are shapes with four vertices. In groups of four, students sort shapes. One student says, “This shape has three sides, that’s not a quadrilateral.” Another student says “This has four sides, it is a quadrilateral!”
Students’ Use (2): Students are sorting different shapes in groups and identifying which shapes are quadrilaterals. Students discuss which shapes are quadrilaterals based on their attributes. A student grabs a rhombus and says, “Este es un quadrilateral” while another student grabs a triangle and says “This not a quadrilateral, it only got three sides.”
Students’ Use (3): Students are sorting different shapes in groups and identifying which shapes are quadrilaterals. Students discuss which shapes are quadrilaterals based on their attributes. A student grabs a parallelogram, and says, “This is a quadrilateral!” Another student at her table responds by saying, “Por qué?” She points to the sides while counting and says, “Quatro sides.”
Students’ Use (4): Students are sorting different shapes in groups and identifying which shapes are quadrilaterals. Mr. Robles approaches a group that has trouble deciding if a trapezoid is a quadrilateral. Mr. Robles says, “Chicos, how many sides does a quadrilateral have?” A student responds by saying, “Quatro sides.” As the group analyzes the trapezoid, they each count the sides. A student says “Es un quadrilateral,” and another student builds on it saying, “Porque tiene four!”
Students’ Use (5): Students are sorting different shapes in groups and identifying which shapes are quadrilaterals. Mr. Robles approaches a group that has trouble deciding if a trapezoid is a quadrilateral. Mr. Robles says, “Chicos, how many sides does a quadrilateral have?” A student responds by saying, “Well, the beginning of the word quadrilateral sounds like quatro or four.” “Good job,” says Mr. Robles “a quadrilateral does have four sides.” As the group analyzes the trapezoid one more time, each student counts the sides. “Es un quadrilateral” says a student, while another student builds on the comment saying, “Porque tiene four sides!”
Which is the best example of Students’ Use?
To what extent is your classroom a place that students can feel encouraged to use their everyday language? How do you ask them about parts of their language? How do you incorporate and affirm everyday language in learning activities?
Some special features of this indicator might be:
| Disconnected (1) | Somewhat Connected (3) | Well-Connected (5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
1d. Language Inclusion
|
The classroom environment does not include everyday language. | The classroom sometimes includes everyday language. | The classroom often includes everyday language. |
Standard: Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4).
Context: Mrs. Williams teaches fifth grade at a Title I school in Dearborn, Michigan. She teaches a class of mostly white students with some African American, Latino, and Syrian refugee students. Her students are working in groups to peer edit their in-class presentations for the upcoming week.
Language Inclusion (1): Mrs. Williams walks around to the different groups of students and asks them about the presentation they are reviewing. She reminds the students to always be courteous and kind when giving feedback. She encourages the students to discuss feedback as a group and to take notes of the suggestions given about their own presentation.
Language Inclusion (2): Mrs. Williams walks around the classroom talking with various groups. At the beginning of the year she had the students fill out a survey about their home language. She often asks students about words or phrases in their everyday language as well. She feels the students’ background is important to understand to help them grow. While talking with the students about their presentations, she keeps in mind their individual needs and strengths while giving feedback.
Language Inclusion (3): Mrs. Williams heads to her group of English learners first. She allowed this group of students to decide if they wanted to work together on this assignment or be divided. She knows much of the group speaks Spanish while the rest speak Syrian. She encourages the students to use their everyday language if it helps them to understand the assignment, give feedback, and clarify meaning.
Language Inclusion (4): Mrs. Williams asks the various groups about the presentations they are reviewing. She encourages the students to use their everyday language when planning the assignment and giving feedback. She even encourages students to include words or phrases from their everyday language in their final presentation.
Language Inclusion (5): Mrs. Williams walks around to the different groups. She has asked the students about words and phrases in their everyday language/vernacular throughout the year. She often allows students to choose their groups for activities like this one so they feel comfortable and can discuss in their everyday language. Mrs. Williams encourages students to do outlines and rough drafts in their everyday language and even to include it in their final presentation as long as it is mostly in Standard English.
Which of the following are ways Mrs. Williams can include everyday language in her classroom climate?
Each chapter in this book includes three versions of a teaching scenario to illustrate the dimension and its indicators. In this chapter, we enter our classroom with Mr. Bradley in Sacramento. Here is some context for his background, classroom, and setting:
Mr. James Bradley is a 35-year-old Black male teacher at a Title 1 elementary school in Sacramento. His class has a large number of Latino and Hmong students, in addition to several White and African American students. Mr. Bradley’s school is in a less-affluent area of Sacramento and his classroom has limited resources. Students sit together in table groups and can use a rug area for discussions and reading. There are no computers in Mr. Bradley’s classroom.
Mr. Bradley himself is from Florida and graduated from Florida A&M. After graduation (10 years ago), he moved across the country to take a teaching job in Sacramento and has taught a few different grades at two schools in the area. He now teaches second grade in a diverse community, where he and his wife Layla (also a teacher) are raising their daughter.
Mr. Bradley knows how uncommon black male teachers are, so he looks for opportunities to break down barriers for his students. That’s part of why he likes teaching second grade—it gives him the chance to foster positive views of race, language, and potential in his students before they get too fixed in their cultural mindsets.
Mr. Bradley has previously taught his second grade students about different kinds of currency values, including dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Today he is reviewing the names and values of each kind of currency to prepare the students to solve word problems involving money, fulfilling this Common Core standard:
Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately. Example: If you have 2 dimes and 3 pennies, how many cents do you have?
Remember that effective generic teaching practices and effective cultural teaching practices can be different. In our scenarios across this book, you will find teachers using effective generic practices without necessarily being highly meaningful or socioculturally connected. Our goal is not to replace effective generic practice; rather, we seek to show how culturally connected and equitable practices can be integrated with generic practice to make meaning in the lives of your students. Pay attention to the differences!
Mr. Bradley has his students separate into their table groups and gives each table a small bag of coins and dollar bills to sort.
“Alright everyone, I’m giving each table a bag with some coins. I want you to work together to sort them by value from lowest to highest. Remember, value means how much they are worth,” announces Mr. Bradley.
As the groups start working on sorting the coins, Mr. Bradley walks around the classroom visiting the groups. He notices one student is putting the dimes before the nickels in order from least to greatest. He points to the nickels and asks, “What is this one called?”
The student replies, “A nickel?” with a bit of hesitance in his voice.
“Which is worth more, dimes or nickels?”
“Well, nickels are bigger….”
Mr. Bradley smiles, “That’s a good point! It’s a little confusing. Even though nickels are bigger, they are worth less than a dime.” He pats the student on the shoulder and walks away. He notices that most of the groups are done sorting the coins and gets their attention, “Alright class, I noticed that most of you arranged your coins as pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar bills. How did you know how to arrange them?”
One student raises his hand and says, “Well I know the penny is the brown one, and that’s the smallest. All the silver ones are worth more.”
Another student calls out, “My teacher taught me, ‘Nickel, nickel, thick and fat, you’re worth 5, I know that!”
“Good!” says Mr. Bradley, “Also remember that the size of the coin is not the same as its value. A nickel is bigger, but a dime is worth more.”
Why do we say this example is “disconnected”?
Although there is instructional time, Mr. Bradley does not include students’ everyday language in his discussion about the coins’ values or his feedback. (1)
Mr. Bradley is not observed using students’ everyday language to express affection, provide encouragement, or reinforce classroom rules. (1)
Students are not observed initiating or reciprocating use of their everyday language. There is no code-switching or translanguaging observed either. (1)
There is no inquiry about students’ everyday language observed. The activity does not include everyday language and its use is not encouraged nor affirmed. (1)
Mr. Bradley has previously divided his class into homogenous language groups (based on English language ability/home language) and has the students separate into those groups.
“Alright everyone, I’m giving each table a bag with some coins. I want you to work together to sort them by value from lowest to highest. Remember value means how much they are worth,” announces Mr. Bradley.
As the groups start working on sorting the coins, Mr. Bradley walks around the classroom visiting the groups. He notices two Hmong students are looking at the nickels and dimes with confusion. He approaches them with a smile asking, “Does it make sense?”
One of the students, a boy, responds, “I don’t know what’s bigger.”
“Well,” explains Mr. Bradley, “the nickel is bigger, but the dime is worth more. How do you say ‘10’ in Hmong?”
“Kaum,” replies the other student, a girl named Eve.
“Okay, this dime is worth kaum, even though it’s small. How do you say ‘5’ in Hmong?”
“Tsib,” says Cai, the boy.
“Tsib? Okay, well the nickel is worth tsib, even though it’s bigger.”
Mr. Bradley looks around the room and notices most of the students have finished. He gets the class's attention, “Looks like everyone has their coins in the right order. Eve and Cai realized that even though the nickel is bigger, the dime is worth more. How did you say 5, again?”
“Tsib,” Eve and Cai say together.
“And 10 was kaum, right?” asks Mr. Bradley. The students nod so he says to the class, “Okay, let’s learn some new words. Everyone say it with me.”
Mr. Bradley holds up a nickel and the whole class says, “Tsib!”
Next, he holds up the dime and the class says, “Kaum!”
Mr. Bradley smiles and says, “Great! Remember, even though the nickel is big, it’s worth 5, tsib. And the dime is small, but it’s worth 10, kaum.”
Why do we say this example is “somewhat connected”?
Mr. Bradley teaches content using the students’ everyday language, Hmong, and provides feedback using it. (4)
Mr. Bradley is not observed expressing affection or providing encouragement in the students’ everyday language. (1)
Students use their everyday language when the teacher asks them to, but otherwise are not observed code-switching or translanguaging. (3)
Mr. Bradley inquires about students’ everyday language by asking how to say 5 and 10 in Hmong and in that way partially incorporates it in the activity. However, everyday language use is not encouraged. (3)
Mr. Bradley has previously divided his class into homogenous language groups (based on English language ability/home language) and has the students separate into those groups around the room. One group is on the carpet, another at the group work table, and a third at the desks.
“Alright everyone, I’m giving each table a bag with some coins. I want you to work together to sort them by value from lowest to highest. Remember value means how much they are worth,” announces Mr. Bradley.
As the groups start working on sorting the coins, Mr. Bradley walks around the classroom visiting the groups. A young Latino boy sitting at the carpet is being a little too loud, so Mr. Bradley motions him over.
“Mijo, what’s the rule about yelling in the classroom?” he asks.
“Inside voice,” the boy says sheepishly.
“Riiight, inside voice. Voz baja. Alright,” Mr. Bradley smiles, “back to your group.”
Mr. Bradley continues walking around the classroom and approaches a group of Hmong students. One student grabs a nickel saying, “Nws mus no,” and places it between the dime and quarter.
Mr. Bradley squats by the group and asks, “Why does it go there?”
The student replies, “‘Cause this one is loj dua, bigger.”
“I see,” he nods, “but even though it is loj dua, the nickel is worth less than the dime.”
He gets the class’s attention, “Alright, the coins are in order. Remember that coins have different names and values all around the world. Do any of you know names for coins in different languages?”
Many students raise their hands to comment.
“Moneda!”
“Centavos.”
“Nyiaj!”
“Very good,” Mr. Bradley laughs, “Thank you for sharing! I’m glad we know so many languages!”
Why do we say this example is “well-connected”?
When talking to the Hmong students, Mr. Bradley uses their everyday language to teach them that dimes are worth more even though nickels are bigger. He also incorporates it into the discussion about coins at the end of the lesson. (4)
Mr. Bradley expresses affection for the Latino student and reinforces the classroom rules in his everyday language (4)
The Hmong student initiates use of his everyday language and translanguages. The students also reciprocate use of everyday language and are observed code-switching. (5)
Mr. Bradley is not observed inquiring about everyday language, but he does try to include it in the activity. He also encourages the students’ use of their everyday language. (4)
Now that you have reviewed the theory, indicators, and examples of Language Use, it’s time to practice in your own classroom.
Below you will find PDAR guides to help you integrate what you’ve learned into practice, either by yourself or with other teachers.
If you have a Hypothesis account (or create one), you can sign in at the top right corner of this page. This will enable you to annotate and make notes for your PDAR plan. We have also included worksheets below that you can download, fill in, and share. Do what works best for you!
Use the reflective questions below to guide you. You don’t have to answer all of them—they are there to give you ideas and help you reflect.
(Take notes in the book or download one of the worksheets above.)
If language is the vehicle for learning, everyday language use is grease for those wheels. Integrating students’ home and everyday languages into the classroom enhances social relations, facilitates instruction, and reinforces positive cultural identities for those students. It is linked to better outcomes for minoritized students. And, fortunately, it doesn’t require huge changes to start practicing language use this week.
Our goal with this chapter was to help you appreciate the value of Language Use, feel confident explaining Language Use to peers, parents, and administrators, and feel ready to begin practicing Language Use in your classroom or school.
But as teacher learners, the process doesn’t end for you with abstract knowledge gained from the chapter. Practicing Language Use in the classroom will uncover numerous opportunities and challenges we didn’t cover here. When that happens, and we hope it does, share your experiences and questions with other educators, and with us (if you feel so inclined). Talk to students about what’s working; talk to families about what language means to them.
Above all, keep asking yourself: “How can I welcome everyday language into my classroom this week?”
Have other materials or resources? Share them with us at CASIbookteam@gmail.com!
Abdulrahim, N. A., & Orosco, M.J. (2020). Culturally responsive mathematics teaching: A research synthesis. The Urban Review, 52, 1–25.
Aronson, B., & Laughter, J. (2016). The theory and practice of culturally relevant education: A synthesis of research across content areas. Review of Educational Research, 86, 163–206
Blackley, A. (2019). It's not uncommon for schools to have dozens of home languages - and your classrooms need to reflect that. https://edtechbooks.org/-gDYf
Bonner, E. P. (2014). Investigating practices of highly successful mathematics teachers of traditionally underserved students. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 86, 377–399.
Goldenberg, C. (2010). Reading instruction for English language learners. In M. Kamil, P. D. Pearson, E. Moje, & P. Afflerbach (Eds.). Handbook of Reading Research, Vol. IV. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
We are constantly improving this resource. Have suggestions, resources, or experiences with the CASI you’d like to share?
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