ELPS by Content Area
How language looks different in Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELAR
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Audio Introduction
Why Content-Specific ELPS Matter
The 2026 ELPS include content-specific Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) for ELAR, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. This is a major change. Previously, there was only one set of general PLDs. The new content-specific PLDs recognize that academic language looks and sounds different depending on the subject. The language a student needs to succeed in a science lab is different from the language needed for a historical document analysis or a math word problem.
The Language of Each Content Area
Each content area has its own unique language demands:
| Content Area | Key Language Features | Example Academic Language |
|---|---|---|
| ELAR/SLAR | Literary analysis, narrative structure, figurative language, author's purpose, textual evidence | "The author uses imagery to convey…" / "Based on evidence from the text…" / "The protagonist's motivation is…" |
| Mathematics | Symbolic language, precise definitions, logical connectors, process descriptions, multi-step problem interpretation | "The sum of… is equal to…" / "If x represents…, then…" / "Solve by first… and then…" |
| Science | Hypothesis formation, observation language, cause-effect, experimental procedures, data interpretation | "Based on the data, we can conclude…" / "The variable that changed was…" / "Our hypothesis was supported because…" |
| Social Studies | Chronological language, perspective analysis, civic discourse, primary source interpretation, argumentation | "During this era…" / "From the perspective of…" / "The evidence suggests that…" / "One cause of… was…" |
ELAR/SLAR: Language About Language
ELAR presents a unique challenge for emergent bilingual students: the content IS language. Students must use English to learn about English. Key language demands include analyzing texts for theme and author's purpose, identifying literary devices, writing in multiple genres, and using textual evidence to support claims. For bilingual programs (SLAR), students develop these same skills in Spanish, which then transfer to English. Teachers should connect English literary terms to their Spanish equivalents when possible (e.g., personificación/personification, metáfora/metaphor, tema/theme).
Mathematics: The Myth of "Language-Free"
Mathematics is often assumed to be universal and language-free, but this is a misconception. Math is one of the most language-demanding subjects for emergent bilingual students. Word problems require reading comprehension. Mathematical vocabulary often has everyday meanings that differ from their mathematical definitions (table, volume, product, expression, range, mean). Students must explain their reasoning, justify solutions, and interpret complex directions. Teachers should explicitly teach mathematical vocabulary, use visual models, and provide sentence frames for mathematical discourse.
Tricky Math Vocabulary
Many math terms have everyday meanings that can confuse emergent bilingual students:
| Math Term | Math Meaning | Everyday Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Table | Organized display of data in rows and columns | Furniture for eating or working |
| Volume | Amount of space inside a 3D shape | Loudness of sound |
| Product | Result of multiplication | Something you buy |
| Expression | Numbers, variables, and operations grouped together | A facial look or phrase |
| Range | Difference between the highest and lowest values | An area of land or cooking appliance |
| Mean | Average of a set of numbers | Unkind, or to intend something |
| Operation | Addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division | A medical procedure |
| Odd | A number not divisible by 2 | Strange or unusual |
Science: The Language of Inquiry
Science instruction requires students to observe, hypothesize, experiment, record data, analyze results, and draw conclusions. Each of these steps has specific language demands. The inquiry cycle itself is a language scaffold: "I observe that…" → "I predict that… because…" → "The data shows…" → "We can conclude that…" Teachers should use science notebooks, labeled diagrams, sentence stems for each phase of inquiry, and collaborative lab activities where students practice scientific discourse with peers.
Social Studies: Multiple Perspectives and Abstract Concepts
Social Studies requires students to analyze events from multiple perspectives, interpret primary sources written in complex or archaic language, understand abstract concepts like democracy and justice, and construct evidence-based arguments. For emergent bilingual students, primary source documents can be particularly challenging. Teachers should provide annotated versions, pre-teach key vocabulary, use graphic organizers for comparing perspectives, and offer sentence frames for historical argumentation.
Scaffolding Strategies by Content Area
Each content area benefits from specific scaffolding approaches:
| Content Area | High-Impact Scaffolds |
|---|---|
| ELAR/SLAR | Annotated texts, story maps, vocabulary journals with cognates, sentence frames for literary analysis, bilingual glossaries, mentor texts |
| Mathematics | Visual models (number lines, arrays, bar diagrams), math word walls with images, sentence frames for explaining reasoning, manipulatives, bilingual word problem glossaries (note: translation alone is insufficient since mathematical register differs from conversational register in both languages) |
| Science | Labeled diagrams, science notebooks, inquiry sentence stems, hands-on experiments with structured observation guides, cognate charts (hypothesis/hipótesis, experiment/experimento) |
| Social Studies | Annotated primary sources, timeline graphic organizers, perspective-taking frames, Venn diagrams for comparison, simplified summaries paired with original documents |
Using the Content-Specific PLDs
When planning a lesson, check the content-specific PLDs for your subject area. They tell you exactly what language production to expect from students at each proficiency level in your discipline. Use them alongside the general PLDs to create targeted language objectives. In this app, the Reference Mode organizes ELPS by content area so you can quickly find the standards and scaffolds relevant to your subject.