What is it about?
In science, subject-specific languages have a communicative and epistemic function. Thus, in science education learners need to both learn the language of science and learn through this specific language. Based on the assumption that learning subject-specific languages can be compared to second language acquisition, the study transfers Task-based Language Teaching to science education and explores the language needs of Austrian upper secondary school learners in science education when writing a Pre-Scientific Paper (PSP), using multiple methods (semi-structured interviews, online questionnaires) and data sources (curriculum, learners, teachers). The study reveals pre-scientific writing as a relevant overall task, identifies over 30 target tasks, describes subject-specific linguistic challenges students face when performing these tasks and shows how they are supported in their pre-scientific writing skills. Altogether, the paper shows the importance of having a more regular and systematic implementation of subject-specific language tasks in upper secondary science education.
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Why is it important?
To our knowledge, we offer the first needs analysis carried out alongside the framework of TBLT (task based language teaching) in science education by applying TBLT aspects to learners' scientfic language development following the interlanguage hypothesis framed in the context of foreign language education .
Perspectives
The study's outcome serve as baseline for two PhD theses investigating scientific language development in biology (1) and physics education (2). (1) Taglieber, Johanna (2022), Fachspezifische Sprachbildung am Beispiel des Biologieunterrichts : eine explorative Interventionsstudie mit Fokus auf das vorwissenschaftliche Schreiben aus aufgabenorientierter Perspektive, unpublished PhD thesis, Innsbruck University. (2) Wichmann, Corinna (2024), Der Einsatz von Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) zur Förderung fachsprachlicher Kompetenzen im deutschsprachigen Physikunterricht, unpublished PhD thesis, Innsbruck University.
Barbara Hinger
Karl-Franzens-Universitat Graz
Working on this article helped me to understand what interdisciplinarity really means in academic contexts and how it helps to improve academic work.
Johanna Taglieber
Universitat Innsbruck
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Identifying language requirements of pre‑scientific writing for learners in science education using a task‑based needs
analysis, Pedagogical Linguistics, November 2023, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/pl.23004.tag.
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