©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Tanja Tajmel Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Language dimensions in learning Language dimensions in learning and teaching scienceand teaching science

Seminar on languages of schooling in all subjectsCouncil of Europe, 27-28 September 2012

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Requested language dimensions in school

1. On general level

2. On domain- and subject specific level• National educational standards• Subject specific curricula

3. On teaching and operational level

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Analysis of the subject specific language functions(educational standards and curricula)

Which language functions are (considered to be) required for a specific subject?

Top down

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Fields of competences in physics/chemistry/biology (KMK 2004)

Scientific knowledge (F)

Acquisition of knowledge (E)

Communication (K)

Evaluation (B)

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Acquisition of knowledge (E)

E1 Students describe phenomena and lead them back to common physical contexts

E2 Students select data and information from different sources to process the tasks …

E6 Students propose hypotheses on basis of simple examples

E10 Students assess the validity of empirical outcomes and their generalisation

Fields of competences in the sciences (KMK 2004)

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Requested language dimensions in school

1. On general level

2. On domain- and subject specific level• National educational standards• Subject specific curricula

3. On teaching and operational level

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Analysis of the subject specific language functions(educational standards and curricula)

How to characterise the required language functions on an operational level?

Analysis of the required linguistic means; raising the language awareness of teachers

Analysis framework

Top down

Bottom up

Which language functions are (considered to be) required for a specific subject?

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

An example

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Curriculum for Physics, Berlin

1. Gründe für Sprache im Fachunterricht

Field of competence: Acquisition of knowledge Grade 7/8

The students …

… notice and observe natural phenomena.

… describe these phenomena.

Top down

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

6. BedarfsanalyseThe students observe and describe a phenomenon

Which linguistic means are necessary to describe this phenomenon precisely?

Bottom up

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Which linguistic means are necessary to describe this phenomenon precisely?

You will recognise it immediatily, when you take the students perspective!

2. Sensibilisierung

Bottom up

Observe the phenomenon!

Describe in everyday language, what you observe!

Use your best foreign language!

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Top down

Bottom up

actually required linguistic means

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Analysis framework for language functions (Tajmel 2011)

1. Educational standard

2.Relevant language function

3. Level of expectations

4.

Relevant linguistic means: - word level - senctence level - text level

5.Modified and extended educational standard

Top down

Bottom up

actually required linguistic means

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Analysis framework for language functions (Tajmel 2011)

1. Educational standardAcquisition of knowledge (F): Observing and describing phenomenaBasic concept: interaction, buoyant force

2.Relevant language function

Describing

3. Level of expectations

A stone is hanging on one side of a coathanger, on the other side there are weights hanging. The stone is as heavy as the weights. When the stone is dipped into water, the side with the stone lifts and the coathanger is inclined.

4.

Relevant linguistic means: - word level - senctence level - text level

- stone, coathanger, weights, horizontal, inclined, to dip into, to lift, light , heavy, …- conditional clause, passiv form

5.Modified and extended educational standard

The students describe an experiment to buoyant force by using general terms, such as weights, inclined, to dip into, light – heavy, …

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Analysis framework for language functions (Tajmel 2011)

1. Educational standardAcquisition of knowledge (F): Observing and describing phenomenaBasic concept: interaction, buoyant force

2.Relevant language function

Describing

3. Level of expectations

A stone is hanging on one side of a coathanger, on the other side there are weights hanging. The stone is as heavy as the weights. When the stone is dipped into water, the side with the stone lifts and the coathanger is inclined.

4.

Relevant linguistic means: - word level - senctence level - text level

- stone, coathanger, weights, horizontal, inclined, to dip into, to lift, light , heavy, …- conditional clause, passiv form

5.Modified and extended educational standard

The students describe an experiment to buoyant force by using general terms, such as weights, inclined, to dip into, light – heavy, …

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

(beam) balance

horizontal – inclined - upright

weight(-s)

coathanger

light - heavy

to submerge…

to dip in ...

balance beam

balance

2. Sensibilisierung

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Effects on the students performance

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

without lexical means With lexical means

als das diess Becher mit Stein gefült ist, ist das stein leichter geworden als die andere 

als das Gefäß mit Wasser gefült ist und den Stein etwas eingetaucht haben wurde das KleiderBügel schräg und das Gewicht wurde schwerer als der Stein, der Zeiger Bewegte sich nach links und das Stein hebte sich etwas.

when the beaker is filled with water and the stone dipped slightly into it the coathanger became inclined and the weight became heavier than the stone, the indicator moved to the left and the stone lifted a bit

when the beaker is filled with stone, the stone becomes lighter than the other

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

without lexical means with lexical means

als das diess Becher mit Stein gefült ist, ist das stein leichter geworden als die andere 

als das Gefäß mit Wasser gefült ist und den Stein etwas eingetaucht haben wurde das KleiderBügel schräg und das Gewicht wurde schwerer als der Stein, der Zeiger Bewegte sich nach links und das Stein hebte sich etwas.

N=27N=27

when the beaker is filled with water and the stone dipped slightly into it the coathanger became inclined and the weight became heavier than the stone, the indicator moved to the left and the stone lifted a bit

when the beaker is filled with stone, the stone becomes lighter than the other

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Thank you for your attention!

tanja.tajmel@physik.hu-berlin.de

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

References

Freie Hansestadt Hamburg. Behörde für Schule und Berufsbildung (2011): Bildungsplan Stadtteilschule. Jahrgangsstufen 5-11. Lernbereich Naturwissenschaften und Technik. Hamburg.

Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) (2005): Bildungsstandards im Fach Physik für den Mittleren Schulabschluss (Beschluss vom 16.12.2004). Neuwied: Luchterhand.

Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Sport Berlin (SenBJS) (2006). Rahmenlehrplan für die Sekundarstufe I, Jahrgangsstufe 7-10, Physik. Berlin.

Rösch, H. (Ed.) (2005): Mitsprache - Deutsch als Zweitsprache. Sprachförderung in der Sekundarstufe 1. Grundlagen, Übungsideen, Kopiervorlagen. Braunschweig: Schroedel.

Tajmel, T./ Starl, K. (Eds.) (2009): Science Education Unlimited. Approaches to Equal Opportunities in Learning Science. Münster, New York: Waxmann

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Kleiderbügelexperiment

Book + CD-ROM with video of the „Coathanger-Experiment“

Teaching material

©Tanja Tajmel 2012

Tajmel, T. (2010), DaZ-Förderung im naturwissenschaftlichen Fachunterricht, in: Ahrenholz, Bernt (Hrsg.), Fachunterricht und Deutsch als Zweitsprache, Narr, Tübingen.

Tajmel, T. (2011): Sprachliche Lernziele im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht. ProDaZ, Uni Duisburg-Essen, http://www.uni-due.de/imperia/md/content/prodaz

Thürmann, E. & Vollmer, H. J. (2010): A Framework of Language Competencies Across the Curriculum. Language(s) in and for Inclusive Education in Northrhine-Westfalia (Germany). Strasbourg: Council of Europe, http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/Checklist_Nord-Rhein-Westphalia_en.doc

Vollmer, H. J. (2010): Items for a description of linguistic competence in the language of schooling necessary for learning/teaching sciences (end of compulsory education). Strasbourg: Council of Europe. http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/Source2010_ForumGeneva/1-LIS-sciences2010_EN.pdf

References