Scientific Discourse and Semantic Waves: Teaching and Learning the Language of Science With Bilingual Learners

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Dialogue, Discourse, and Language in Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

We report on a study of middle school science teachers and their English learner students, engaged in a project that dynamically integrated science investigation practices with the use of the language of science. We did this in part by valuing the language of science as a disciplinary discourse, while also nurturing critical language awareness and incorporating students’ “everyday language” registers. We use Maton’s (2013) concept of semantic waves to challenge the binary assumption that everyday language registers are only satisfactory for non-academic purposes and unsatisfactory for academic purposes. Instead we explore the idea of register shunting where everyday and disciplinary registers, first and second languages, each serve distinct and valuable roles in science meaning making.

Authors

• Cory A. Buxton, University of Georgia - Athens

• Ruth Harman, University of Georgia - Athens

• Lei Jiang, University of Kansas

• Lourdes Cardozo-Gaibisso, University of Georgia - Athens