Scaffolding disciplinary literacy in L2 Science junior secondary classrooms

Abstract

This paper examines the pedagogical strategies that Science teachers adopted when introducing scientific language in junior secondary classrooms in L2 contexts. In the case of Hong Kong where Science teachers do not generally have postgraduate language training, research on their disciplinary literacy to support learners (with Cantonese as L1) in the mastery of science knowledge in English (L2) merits a close examination. The capacity to identify and articulate the language demands of scientific concepts often reflects teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and language awareness. Adopting a grounded theory approach, empirical data from an L2 Classroom Talk project is drawn to examine the teaching and learning of Science in seven junior secondary English-medium classrooms in Hong Kong. This paper extracts lesson data of a Year 7 Science teacher on the topic “Living Things”, including transcribed recordings and interviews for triangulation. Instructional scaffolding is evident − we will showcase how the teacher clarified learners’ common conceptual misunderstanding, where the strategy to reformulate learners’ collocation attempts is most revealing. This study sheds light on the significantly intertwined but often undeveloped link between language awareness of subject teachers and their disciplinary knowledge. Implications on teaching and learning in L2 classrooms will be elaborated.