Word Generation - Developing Academic Language

An Introduction to Accountable Talk

Observe professional development with Boston teachers.

Teachers encourage students
to listen to what classmates say.


Introduction of Talk Moves	The Revoicing Move

Repeat Another Student's Words	Do You Agree or Disagree?

Multiple Uses of Each Move	Conceptual & General Words

Talk Moves with Conceptually Rich Words	Talk Moves and General Academic Vocabulary

Is This Worth the Time?	Classroom Climate

Cathy O'Connor
Director, Program of Applied Linguistics
&
Evelyn Ford-Connors
Faculty, Literacy Testing and Supplementary Instruction Program
Boston University

- Useful when an idea is out on the floor and teacher wants more engagement.

- Repeating and reformulating a classmate’s comments in your own words requires another layer of thinking.

- It is somewhat challenging to be able to repeat classmates' contributions.

- The expectation that students be able to repeat contributions is useful. Students are "on call" so they must attend to the conversation.

- Even teachers find the task challenging in meetings, etc.

- This move changes the level at which people listen.

SERP and
Boston Public Schools collaborated on the development of Word Generation

Support for Word Generation
provided by

Carnegie Corporation of New York
Spencer Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The Noyce Foundation

This website was made possible by the
Leon Lowenstein
Foundation, Inc.

Who are the people who developed Word Generation? Find out!