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The level of oral, written, auditory, and visual language proficiency required to learn effectively in schools and academic programs. The language used in classroom lessons, books, tests, and assignments, and it’s the language that students are expected to learn and achieve fluency in. Frequently contrasted with “conversational” or “social” language, academic language includes a variety of formal-language skills. Academic Language can be seen as an economic and racial barrier to achieving the grades necessary to gain higher education. Academic language is often code for "white language" or the language used by the dominant racial and economic class in society.
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