Which of the following strategies is most effective in developing students' academic language knowledge?

Promoting engagement in extensive independent reading is a highly effective strategy for developing students' academic language knowledge. This approach allows students to encounter a wide variety of vocabulary and sentence structures in context, which enhances their understanding of how academic language is used in different subjects. Reading extensively helps students to not only learn new words but also to see how those words function within the framework of complex ideas and arguments.

Through independent reading, students are exposed to diverse genres, examples of academic discourse, and disciplinary language, which contribute to their ability to comprehend and produce academic texts. This exposure also helps them to internalize language patterns and develop their linguistic proficiency, making them more adept at using academic language in their writing and speaking.

Other strategies, while potentially useful, may not offer the same breadth of exposure to language as extensive independent reading provides. For example, focusing solely on social language or requiring formal English could limit students' engagement and usage of language in a broader context. Similarly, while providing contextual analysis of word meanings or diagramming complex sentences can support language learning, they might not produce the same level of immersion and understanding that comes from engaging with a variety of texts through independent reading.