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Connecting science and literacy: The power of language

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Science thrives on social interactionā€”and so do science students. Thatā€™s why itā€™s critical that teachers support students in developing the language and literacy skills that will help them succeed.

By ŠŌ°®°ĶŹæStaff | April 19, 2024

°Ā±šā€™v±š talked about how scientists need literacy skills in order to be scientists. They canā€™t do their jobs without reading, writing, listening, and communicating.

Our recent webinar explored this intersection from a broader level: the power of language in the science classroom.

How can science teachers remove language barriers to make sure all students are able to access prior knowledgeā€”and acquire more? And how can teachers leverage language to create optimal learning conditions for their science students? Why should they?

Letā€™s find out what webinar co-hosts Eric Cross and Susan Gomez Zwiep, Ph.D., had to say!

Language and science sense-making

Contrary to stereotype, scientists arenā€™t just loners in labs. Susan Gomez Zwiep, former middle school science teacher and senior science educator at BSCS Science Learning, credits a colleague with this pearl: ā€œIf Iā€™m just doing science myself, and not talking to anybody, thatā€™s not science. Thatā€™s just me in my head.ā€

So science teachers need to give students every possible opportunity to get out of their heads. And if language is a barrierā€”whether students are learning English, or challenged by science vocabā€”teachers can help remove it.

This principle is especially important in the context of phenomena-based learning, says Gomez Zwiep. ā€œRather than telling students ideas, and then proving those ideas correct by showing them a phenomenon, we show them the phenomena and engage them in science sense-making to develop that understanding,ā€ she says. ā€œLanguage is central to science sense-making and communicating that sense-making.ā€

Students also bring their prior knowledge to scientific sense-making. And, as Gomez Zwiep points out, prior knowledge is often embedded in the language a student uses at home, or just their own non-scientific vernacular. ā€œI have to use that when I first engage with the phenomenon,ā€ she says. ā€œOtherwise, I’m limiting the resources that kids bring to the learning environment.ā€

Language in a ā€œsafeā€ science classroom

ā€œIf I had to learn science in my second language, I would be struggling with not only everyday vocabulary, but also content-specific vocabulary,ā€ says Eric Cross, host of Amplifyā€™s Science Connections podcast. ā€œYou would never actually know what I knew or what I was bringing to the table.ā€

The goal is to create an environment where students feel comfortable exploring, using whatever language is accessible to them, and then guiding them to conclusionsā€”and precise scientific language. ā€œA classroom requires trust. It requires relationship building,ā€ says Gomez Zwiep. ā€œIf a student is worried about saying something a particular way, thatā€™s where all their cognitive energy is going instead of actually talking about the science.ā€

The key? Put scientific ideas first, and the language will come. ā€œWe used to wait until kids had English in order to learn science. And now we’re starting to see that language emerges from learning experiences,ā€ says Gomez Zwiep. ā€œSo it’s a product of learning, not a prerequisite.ā€

Literacy in your science classroom

You can integrate science and literacy right away, starting with .

Tags:
ŠŌ°®°ĶŹæScience Literacy instruction Science classroom

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