Practical Text Analysis Tool: Academic Language Features in Informational Text

✅ Practical Text Analysis Tool: Academic Language Features in Informational Text

Adapted from WIDA 2020 Standards Framework

This tool helps teachers analyze the academic language demands of informational texts. It is organized by WIDA’s Dimensions of Academic Language—Discourse, Sentence, and Word/Phrase.

🔶 Discourse Level (Whole Text)
Criteria Details/Examples Notes
What is the overall structure of the text? Description? Sequence? Cause & Effect? Comparison? Problem/Solution? Question/Answer?
Are tables, diagrams, or timelines used?
Are mixed structures present?
Headers and subheaders? Do they reflect and support idea organization?
Signal words or transitions? (e.g., in contrast, for example, as a result)
Consistent language? (e.g., synonyms, pronouns)
Paragraphs and section breaks? Help organize meaning?
Dense language? e.g., The rapid erosion of coastal dunes by wind and water created a new shoreline.
🔷 Sentence Level (Language Forms)
Criteria Details/Examples Notes
Sentence types? Simple, Compound, Complex, Compound-complex
Clauses to show relationships? Although she knew the truth, she stayed silent.
Conjunctions? and, but, or, so; because, although, if, when
Punctuation? Ellipses, dashes, colons, quotation marks, semicolons
Sentence variation? Overly complex or overly simple?
🔸 Word/Phrase Level
Criteria Details/Examples Notes
Technical/content-specific words? (e.g., erosion, hypothesis, habitat)
Repeated or emphasized terms? e.g., "innovation" (repeated for emphasis)
Cross-disciplinary terms? (e.g., cycle, model, volume)
Multiple meanings? (e.g., field, light, crust)
Morphologically complex? displacement → dis- + place + -ment
Cognates? information → información, informacja, نيشَن
Abstract nouns or academic verbs? freedom, equality, justice
analyze, explain, transform
Gradated terms? cool, cold, chilly, frozen
Phrasal verbs? break down, take in, carry out
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