The Role of Language in Science Learning and Literacy

Abstract

There has been increasing recognition in recent years of the central role of language in both learning science and in developing science literacy, where science literacy is seen as the desirable general outcome of learning science. At the same time, the definition of science literacy has been broadened over the last decade from a traditional focus on technical conceptions and terminology to include skills in communicating science concepts and applications. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993) and the National Research Council (1996) emphasized the need to develop students’ cognitive abilities, reasoning, habits of mind, unifying concepts, and communication skills. The National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) asserted that science literacy entailed the development of educated citizens who can “engage intelligently in public discourse and debate” (p. 13), can “construct explanations of natural phenomena, test these explanations in many different ways and communicate their ideas to others” (p. 20). In supporting this general orientation, Hand, Prain, Lawrence, and Yore (1999) asserted that an explicit focus on using language for communicative purposes was crucial to achieving this broadened account of science literacy.