A Conversation with Dianna Townsend

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Dianna Townsend talks to us about providing meaningful encounters with words by focusing our instruction in language-rich classroom environments. She provides some concrete teaching strategies, backed by decades of research in vocabulary instruction and learning. Dr. Townsend is known for her work centering on the language development of adolescents, with specific attention to vocabulary. Her most recent book is Words Worth Using: Supporting Adolescents’ Power with Academic Vocabulary, published by Teachers College Press in 2022. In it, she offers practical support for adolescents’ vocabulary development, to learn words by using them in ways that are meaningful to their identity, language background, and interests. At the University of Nevada Reno, Dr. Dianna Townsend is the Program Coordinator of the Literacy Studies Program within the College of Education and Human Development. 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

• Dianna's book - https://www.tcpress.com/words-worth-using-9780807767627
• Dr. Maneka Deanna Brooks' website - https://brooksphd.com/ 

To cite this episode: Persohn, L. (Host). (2024, Nov. 14). A conversation with Dianna Townsend (Season 5, No. 4) [Audio podcast episode]. In Classroom Caffeine Podcast series. https://www.classroomcaffeine.com/guests. DOI: 10.5240/64F8-D0E5-AA9C-742F-3005-9 

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