The Linguistic Challenge of the Transition to Secondary School A Corpus Study of Academic Language

The transition and the context of this research In many nations, children study for six or seven years in primary, or elemen- tary school, then, at between ten and 14 years of age, move to secondary, or high school (Evans et al., 2018), a move that is often referred to simply as ‘the transition’. For many children, this move to ‘big school’ is a large and psychologically profound change. Zeedyk et al. stated that ‘this period is regarded as one of the most difficult in pupils’ educational careers, and success in navigating it can affect not only children’s academic performance but their general sense of well-being and mental health’ (2003, p. 68).