The effects of using a modified Frayer model to teach mathematics vocabulary to junior-form English learners in a Chinese medium-of-instruction secondary school

Abstract

Since the implementation of the school-based fine-tuned medium-of-instruction policy (MOI) in 2009, Language Across the Curriculum (LAC) has been operated in secondary schools. The scale of LAC varies from school to school, and from subject to subject. While there have been studies exploring the effectiveness of using graphic organisers to improve students’ academic vocabulary, relatively little is known about how to help students in local CMI schools. In the present research setting, the school has operated LAC at word level across all non-language subjects (except Chinese History) for some years. Every academic year, junior-form students are given a glossary with subject-specific or technical terms and their Chinese translation. Then, these students are assessed on their ability to memorise the terms and their translation in the examinations. In order to improve the effectiveness of learning content-specific vocabulary, the modified Frayer Model was used for this study which explored thirty-three Secondary 2 students’ perception of the model for learning Mathematics vocabulary. The modified Frayer Model was designed according to the multi-semiotic nature of Mathematics language and the subjects’ linguistic and non-linguistic needs. The students were given a two-week intervention and introduced how to use the model. The main findings show that they had positive perception of the model. While the modified Frayer Model still has room for improvement, it has shed insight into the understanding of how a graphic organiser impacts on students’ learning of subject-specific or technical vocabulary.