ABSTRACT

The preferred and dominant language for learning and teaching (LOLT) in secondary schools across South Africa is English. Questionnaire studies on students’ understandings of everyday English words commonly used by teachers in school science classrooms have revealed near to identical kinds of difficulties students encounter with these words. One important highlight of the findings has been the fact that when used in the science context, everyday English words cease to be mere English words. This paper presents findings in investigations conducted in South Africa of the sources of difficulties students encounter with everyday words when used in the science context. The study participants consisted of 715 Year 11 science students and their respective teachers (N = 20). Data were sourced by use of a questionnaire to student participants followed by focus group and in-depth interviews with both categories of participants. One major revelation is that science teachers’ preferred approaches to use of instructional language during teaching is key to the students’ ability to tell the meanings of everyday words when used in the science context. The findings in this study are drawn on to suggest a practice policy on science teachers’ use of instructional language for effective teaching of school science.

摘要

南非中学首选和主要的学习语言（LOLT）是英语。关于学生对学校英语教室教师常用的日常英语单词理解的问卷调查研究表明，学生在使用这些单词时遇到的困难几乎相同。研究结果的一个重要亮点是，在科学环境中使用的日常英语单词不再仅仅是英语单词。本文介绍了在南非进行的一项调查中发现的结果，这些调查结果显示了学生在科学语境中使用日常单词时遇到的困难。研究参与者包括715名11年级理科学生和他们各自的老师（N = 20）。数据是通过使用问卷调查的方式向学生参与者提供的，然后是焦点小组和对这两种类型参与者的深度访谈。一个重大启示是，理科教师在教学过程中偏爱使用教学语言的方法是学生在理科环境中讲出日常用语含义的能力的关键。这项研究的结果被用来建议科学教师使用教学语言进行学校科学有效教学的实践政策。