Language &

Literacy Development

 

 

   

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There are three cognitive aspects that support forming and communicating a life story:

• The ability to use language and memory to establish a coherent description of the teens identify.

• The metacognitive ability to reflect on situations and then ask such questions as, “Why did I do that?” or “Why did that happen?”

• An understanding that, in addition to self, others have thoughts, feelings, and personal histories as well.

During high school, older adolescents have the opportunity to develop personal narratives through creating autobiographies, participating in job/college interviews, keeping diaries or journals, and introducing themselves to new friends or possible dates.

Teens connect with each other through a language of their own. This teen specific language may include special vocabulary and varied pronunciations that may change depending on time, place or situation. This communication also varies based on cultural influence, generational trends, and technology.

 

Language & Literacy

A main aspect of adolescent language and literacy is the development of the personal life story. Adolescents begin to see themselves as a consistent figure across different situations and multiple time spans. This development contributes to personal identify.

Technology and the

Language of Leadership

 Based on a 2006 digital community study (Cassell, Huffaker, Tversky, & Ferriman), young leaders did not use traditional language of adult leaders when describing global issues online. Traditional adult leaders use powerful vocabulary and contribute many of their own thoughts and ideas. In contrast, young leaders focus on the group’s goals and refer to group more often then themselves. The study suggest that the language of young leaders may reflect community engagement when discussed within the online and digital forum.