Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach

Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) YONGQI GU ­Framing the Issue The Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) is essentially a model for improving the academic achievement of learners who are learning through the medium of a... More

Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) YONGQI GU ­Framing the Issue The Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) is essentially a model for improving the academic achievement of learners who are learning through the medium of a second language. It was developed by Anna Uhl Chamot, J. Michael O’Malley, and their colleagues in the mid-1980s “to accelerate the a­ cademic achievement of English language learning (ELL) students” in the United States (Chamot, 2007, p. 317). The basic principles behind the model are simple: Where students are learning through a second language, their academic achievement at school can be improved through an instructional package that integrates content, language, and learning strategies. During the implementation of the CALLA model, teachers are advised to follow five steps: preparation, presentation, practice, evalu- ation, and expansion. The CALLA model has been widely used in the United States among ELL students and among other Less