We write learning objectives every day. But our learning objectives are mostly linked to content learning and not language learning. Not only do students striving to learn English need language learning objectives, but any student that is learning how to use the functions of our English language need language learning objectives too.
Language objectives promote academic language growth, connect well to content objectives, and focus on developing receptive as well as expressive language skills.
“Language objectives are beneficial not only for [English] language learners but for all students in a class, as everyone can benefit from the clarity that comes with a teacher outlining the requisite academic language to be learned and mastered in each lesson” (Himmel, n.d.).
When designing my language learning objectives, I use the ELL Cheat Sheet to help me formulate them. Below is a video that highlights the value of using Language learning objectives.
In this podcast episode, I focus on the language learning objective that develops my students language functions. I wanted my students to practice formulating questions and generating hypothesis as they are reading complex text. They did an awesome job with this task.