One thing that Gibbons focuses on is call "nominalization". "This is the process of changing verbs into nouns" (Gibbons 2009), for example, destroy becomes destruction, pollute become pollution and extinct becomes extinction. Students will use only simple words and teachers need to teach students to nominalize when writing.  Many people do not learn to use nominalization and so our writing seems "wordy" or "less sophisticated". However, using examples of nominalization will reinforce usage but students will not learn to get the gist of it until 12 or 13 years of age.

Now back to Gibbon's strategies she suggested to use when teaching ELLs so they are exposed to different use of language:

• Progressive Brainstorm - Students share what they know in small groups and write them on paper with one color. Then students switch to another group and add their ideas with another color. The group continues to switch until they get back to their own paper. Once the students get back the whole class discuss or share their findings.
• Wallpapering - In small groups, students write one thing that is "controversial" on paper and putting it on wall. Students do a gallery walk and comment on three items as a whole group.
• Semantic Web/ Concept Web- Collecting, recording and organizing information on paper as a whole group about the topic.
• Dictogloss - This gives students an opportunity to listen, talk, read, write, make notes, reflect on language use, clarify content, and use academic language. The teacher reads text twice while students listen. The third time the teacher reads, students write down "key points"and share with a partner. Next the students are in groups of four and write the entire text on a large paper. Text does not have to be exactly the same but should have the same meaning. Discuss as a whole group about differences for the texts.  
• Joint Construction - Teacher use this to teach writing as a whole group. Teacher gives feedback so that the sentences make sense or helping students create academic language.
• The Last Word - This is a small group work on a sentence that the students think is important in a text. In small groups, one student reads his or her sentence but does not discuss it with others. The other group members begin their comment one at a time. The next student comments for about one minute without interruption. It continues until all three make a comment then it comes back to the first student and he or she comments on the sentence he or she selected. Then the next round will start and continues until everyone in the group reads their specific sentences. 
• Thinking Sheets - Students are given a thinking sheet to work out a problem as a whole group and the talking is done through thinking aloud. Once the problem is solved as a group, it will be presented to the teacher. The teacher will ask questions and use academic language to get the students practice. 
• Split Dictation -Two versions of a text is used but with different omissions for discussion. Text should be from the lesson being used. The text will have certain parts missing and the students have to find the person who has the other half of the sentence. Discussion takes place to see if the two parts go together. 
• Barrier Crossword - Students work in pairs on crossword puzzle when the words are provided but the students have to provide the clues for the words.This is useful for vocabulary words in the lessons.
• Traditional and Specific Cloze Exercises - Text is used with some words deleted and the students will fit in words. This can be used if different ways according to teacher discretions. 
• Total Cloze - The title is the only word provided and the rest of the text is replaced with a gap representing each word. this is used at the end of the unit. The teacher writes the title, gaps and punctuation on the board and write the paragraph as a whole group. teachers need to make sure to use academic language to reinforce language.  
• Vanishing Cloze - Write a sentence on the board and start erasing a word from the sentence and students read sentence. Continue the process and erase different words and students read.  
• Word Walls - Use a bank of words on the wall for student reference
• Sentence Matching - Matching the sentences that mean the same thing but using everyday and academic language. Use one column with everyday language in a sentence and the other column use academic language and have students match them. Discuss as a whole group 
• Bilingual Dictionaries - use new words in their language

This is a long list but they are great ideas to try with our students.