Page 2 Exploring the development of discipline-specific language skills with increasingly diverse art and design student groups. Rachel Matthews Background Within all academic disciplines there are a range of terms and words that are the language of that academic community. This language has evolved and developed within disciplines to communicate particular ways of seeing and thinking specific to that subject. This discipline specific manner of communicating is obviously less familiar to those outside or attempting to enter this academic community. Within the subject area of fashion and textiles (and art and design generally) there is a large amount of terminology and technical language used to describe the details, techniques and production processes in this field. The majority of lecturers, as practising professionals, use these words and phrases in their teaching practice. Without intending to baffle the students, these subject-specific terms can unwittingly restrict the ability of lecturers to communicate their points, if the students are not fully conversant with the language of their subject. It would seem that it is in both the lecturing staff and students best interests that discipline-specific language skills should be developed through studio based activities. Establishing the level of students ability to use and understand subject-specific language in their first year of study, whilst including activities that develop these skills within the curriculum, may lead to more successful student participation and learning. Context and learning situation With this issue in mind and through my experience of teaching first year art and design (foundation) students for the last ten years, I felt there had emerged a need to specifically encourage and support the skill of communicating well within my discipline. Rather than assuming that students will pick up their academic literacy as they go along or relying on existing English language support or literacy classes, I wanted to devise some specific activities to gauge and develop students ability to understand and integrate discipline-specific terms. Within the context of this paper, I am using the term academic literacy to mean ‘being literate within ones specific or chosen academic discipline’. I do not intend