Identifying language for content learning

1. Identifying language for content learning Universidad de La Rioja, Keith Kelly keithpkelly@yahoo.co.uk www.factworld.info

2. English-German School, Plovdiv www.factworld.info

3. ‘Zh’ Class www.factworld.info

4. Speed reaction test www.factworld.info

5. Which language? • Subject-specific language • Words you can’t really do without • General academic language • Language of learning • Peripheral language • Classroom ‘chat’ www.factworld.info

6. 1 Words you can’t do without– which words? • 750,000 • 650,000 • 40,000-45,000 • Every 12th • 2500 = 80% • 7500 = 90% • 10% www.factworld.info

7. Numbers • 750,000 – words in English • 650,000 – words in OED • 40,000-45,000 – used by average speaker • Every 12th – ‘the’ • 2500 = 80% of all words we use • 7500 = 90% of all words we use (star words) • 10% = the rest, topic specific (black words) www.factworld.info

8. Curriculum discourse analysis Task - Identify the ‘black’ words in the text below, there are 12 of them. Infections Food and water are sources of infection. Raw food is covered in microorganisms. Most are harmless or do the body good. They grow in our intestines and protect them from more harmful germs, but others cause disease, especially if food's been contaminated by sewage or animal waste, or hasn't been cooked properly. Contact with animals also exposes us to new microorganisms. A bite from an infected dog could lead to rabies, for example. While cleaning out a lizard's cage could lead to salmonella. www.factworld.info

9. Curriculum discourse analysis Infections www.factworld.info

10. Curriculum discourse analysis Infections Food(***) and water(***) are sources(***) of infection(**). Raw(***) food(***) is covered in microorganisms. Most(***) are harmless(*) or do the body(***) good(***). They grow(***) in our intestines and protect(***) them from more harmful(*) germs, but others cause(***) disease(***), especially(***) if food's been contaminated by sewage or animal(*) waste(***), or hasn't been cooked properly(***). Contact(***) with animals(***) also(***) exposes(**) us to new(***) microorganisms. A bite(*) from an infected dog(***) could(***) lead(***) to rabies, for example(***). Cleaning(***) out a lizard's(*) cage(*) could lead to salmonella. www.factworld.info

11. Textbook discourse analysis www.factworld.info

12. Top 100 Science textbook words www.factworld.info

13. Verbs and root words: ‘form’ www.factworld.info

14. The root word ‘form’ www.factworld.info

15. Concordancing software • SCP - Simple concordancing programme www.textworld.com/scp • SWF – Searching for words in files www.factworld.info/computers/SWF/SWF.htm www.factworld.info

16. Task – Take a look at this list of words flower pollination spores stamen style budding grafting fertilization dispersal rhizome stem tuber taproots runners filament anther ovary stigma Plant Reproduction: asexual sexual cuttings vegetative tissue culture natural artificial corm bulb germination sepals pistil receptacle What links and relationships can you see between the words in the list? www.factworld.info

17. Task – Take a look at this list of words Look Tasty salty cook put ham peas flour water rice onions help delicious try mix yummy Cooking: eggs with sweet plaintains cornbread chicken tortillas rice with pigeon peas chili chicken chicken stew empanadas cheesy potato patties custard cookies ingredients garlic What links and relationships can you see between the words in the list? www.factworld.info

18. What if all content vocabulary could be mapped? www.factworld.info

19. Organising words www.factworld.info

20. Knowledge and language maps www.factworld.info

21. Tools for learning- building word trees and diagrams www.factworld.info

22. Tools for learning - annotating diagrams www.factworld.info

23. Vocabulary / Glossaries • Pronunciation • Translation • Contextualization • Accessible • Easy to organize www.factworld.info

24. 2 General academic language • The language of thinking (Clegg) Statements 2 Classifying Teacher questions How would you classify…? How many kinds of …are there? Who can classify…? We/you/one can classify … according to …criteria This class has…characteristics/features www.factworld.info

25. The Language of Science Malaysia Curriculum Specifications - Science Form 1 (11 year olds) Ministry of Education, Malaysia, 2003 www.factworld.info

26. Critical thinking skills Attributing Identifying criteria such as characteristics, features, qualities and elements of a concept or an object. Comparing and Contrasting Finding similarities and differences based on criteria such as characteristics, features, qualities and elements of a concept or event. Grouping and Classifying Separating and grouping objects or phenomena into categories based on certain criteria such as common characteristics or features. The language What’s missing? www.factworld.info

27. What are living things made of? Task Find and underline all of the verbs in the text which are used for talking about ‘structure, function and location’ of cells and tissues. The Structure of Simple Cells Today, scientists using powerful microscopes are able to observe what makes up cells. They have discovered that every cell is a self-contained unit and that all cells are made up of a substance called protoplasm. Protoplasm is the basic living material. It is always made up of carbon (C), oxygen (02), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N) and very often sulphur (S) and phosphorus (P). Protoplasm is usually colourless and contains a large amount of water. It feels and looks like jelly. Only living things can make new proto­plasm or repair damaged protoplasm. Cells are made up of two kinds of proto­plasm: the nucleus and the cytoplasm. They are separated from their environment by an outer cell membrane, which restricts the passage of materials in and out of the cell. www.factworld.info

28. Structure, function and location www.factworld.info

29. Discourse analysis • General academic school language • Awareness of ALL of the language • Opportunities for student access • Embed the language in the content www.factworld.info

30. 3 Peripheral language • Parachute jump www.factworld.info

31. Which is the correct graph, why? www.factworld.info

32. Parachute graph 3 • MA – He jumps out of the plane, falls fast towards the ground after a few seconds his parachute opens. He slows down, and then falls to the ground at a steady speed. So, it is B, it is B, because the first little bit of the graph is the bit before his parachute opens, the second little bit is the bit after his parachute opens when he’s going slower so it’s a more gradual decline, he doesn’t go through as much, it takes longer to go through the same kind of distance, that means he’s traveling slower. A and D both suggest a gradual slowing down, not an abrupt change with the parachute opening. www.factworld.info

33. Explanation language analysis 2 Structures We know when … that … (which is …) -relative clauses and conjunctions The … is the … that … is … -definitions If we had a … it would be … -third conditional A graph of the … against … should be a … -modal auxiliary verb for deduction C is wrong because that would suggest that …-modal would to make statement sound less definite He goes from … to … in … (time) -prepositions … after a few seconds … and then … -sequencing phrases … it takes … so … that means … -concluding A and D both suggest …, not … -juxtaposing www.factworld.info

34. Language as classroom environment • rich input • accessible input • at the level of the learners • scaffolded • ‘semi-scripted’ www.factworld.info

35. Where to start? - Examples in Science • Get to know the curriculum • Explore content websites • Try out resources • Identify language • Understand the skills • Adapt materials to suit your students www.factworld.info

36. Exploring the content curriculum www.bbsrc.ac.uk www.factworld.info

37. Your own GM person … and present Create … www.factworld.info

38. The language of heredity • Naming parts of the face • Eyes, nose, ears, earlobes, eyebrows, • hair, chin, cheeks Describing inherited characteristics He gets his … from his … She gets her … from her … He looks like his … She looks like her … He takes after his … with his She takes after her … with her He has inherited his mother’s … She has inherited her mother’s … Describing facial features S/He has / has got Her/His … is/are … (brown, green, blue, blond, red, grey) (round, thin, fat, long, short, flat, curly, straight, spiky, wavy) www.factworld.info

39. CLIL - The Resources Science Across the World www.scienceacross.org a) a bank of resources for general Science projects b) a database of contacts for carrying out a curriculum exchange project with a school in another country, c) an internet-based and ICT focus to learning. Example – What did you eat? www.factworld.info

40. Food and drink diary www.factworld.info

41. Ice Cream Consumption in Europe • Who eats the most? www.factworld.info

42. Curriculum area? www.factworld.info

43. Curriculum area? www.factworld.info

44. CLIL – The Skills • research work • dealing with data (gathering, presenting) • presentation work • Example - Heredity • Hair colour, eye colour, skin colour, height, ear lobes, mid finger hair, tongue rolling www.factworld.info

45. CLIL – The language Three broad areas of language in content: i) subject-specific language ii) general academic language iii) peripheral language Knowing what this language is, and what to do with it, i.e., how to scaffold or support it, is what CLIL is all about. www.factworld.info

46. Linear content input www.factworld.info

47. Organizing content input www.factworld.info

48. CLIL for Language Teachers - Conclusions 1) Explore the content curriculum: - resources - skills - the language 2) Identify an appealing aspect of this context for you and students - a skill - PPTs - a grammar area - passive voice - general academic language for the content curriculum - economy 3) Offer a focus in your language lesson. www.factworld.info

49. Which language? All language. • Subject-specific language • question of organization and management • General academic language • as important as specific language • Peripheral language • equals rich context www.factworld.info

50. References • Forum for Across the Curriculum Teaching • www.factworld.info • factworld@yahoogroups.com • Young learners and teens group younglearners@yahoogroups.com, • onestopclil discussion forum www.onestopclil.com/forum_board.asp?catid=80 • Gibbons, P (2002) Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning, Heinemann • Science across the world www.scienceacross.org • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, www.bbsrc.ac.uk • UK National Curriculum Website http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/ • Association for Science Education • www.ase.org.uk • www.sycd.co.uk www.factworld.info