Teaching Science Designed for ESL Students
Instructional Techniques Designed to Support Concept Comprehension
Sep 30, 2009
Teaching science to English as a second language (ESL) students requires integration of active learning strategies which provide meaningful experiences in science learning. In order for new knowledge to be acquired in science and in language, learning must be hands-on and minds-on. Science instructional techniques must engage students in inquiry and teach investigative behaviors to find solutions to scientific problems. In science, language becomes the tool for communicating meanings and solutions.
Teaching science to ESL students, requires learning new science concepts that often pose difficult problems. For these students abandoning previously acquired knowledge in their language is a challenging process and may be accomplished only superficially even after formal science teaching. This is particularly relevant for science learners when designing instructional techniques for students from diverse cultural backgrounds with world views that may differ from those reflected in the science classroom.
Science Lesson Plans: Teaching Science Vocabulary with ESL Learning Strategies
Science relies upon the study and understanding of numerous vocabulary words. The introduction of new science vocabulary is better when limited to fewer than twelve words per lesson. Scientific vocabulary for ESL students is best introduced using real objects, pictures, and visuals.
For example – in science lesson plans concerning nutrients; vocabulary words such as carbohydrates, starches, and proteins need introduction by using examples of real foods or by referring to pictures of foods containing these nutrients.
The scientific meaning of more abstract terms such as calories are demonstrated by using a chart that depicts the number of calories contained in various foods or the number of calories burned by completing hands-on science activities.
For example – some ESL students are only able to grasp the meaning of calorie better after participating in a hands-on science activity such as burning different foods and then measuring temperature changes to calculate the amount of calories in a specific food item.
For the English language learner, it is essential that science vocabulary words be re-introduced in different contexts and guide students in using these words during scientific investigations.
Scientific Inquiry: Teaching Ways of Learning to ESL Students
Effective science teaching provides concrete experiences which allow ESL learners to raise questions, make predictions and observations, collect data, and reach conclusions. The collaborative nature of science is frequently demonstrated through group investigations. Teaching science to ESL students is better accomplished through the use of hands-on activities, which is consistent with scientific inquiry.
When teaching science to ESL students it is important to encourage the use of oral and written language by emphasizing the crucial role of language in understanding and expressing scientific inquiry, procedures, findings, and ideas. Problem-solving experiences, guided and supported through teacher facilitation, lead to both science and language learning.
ESL Science: Focusing on Understanding and Comprehension
Teaching science, scientific language often contains complex sentences in a passive voice. These types of structures are better when shortened and expressed in the active voice for deeper understanding and comprehension by ESL learners.
For example – Nutrients are needed by living things; therefore, one's daily diet should contain the proper nutrients. It is better for ESL students to simplify that statement to – All living things need nutrients. A good diet contains the proper nutrients.
A concept, once presented, needs reintroduction in a number of methods and in a variety of situations. Repeated exposure reinforces key concepts and helps ensure comprehension. Paraphrasing of important ideas in different ways and using extended pauses between ideas, give ESL students more time and chances to make connections between scientific ideas and vocabulary.
For example – Nutrients are obtained from food. Food provides the body with the nutrients it needs. Living things use different foods. But all living things need the same nutrients. Food is always the source of nutrients for living things.
When assessing student verbal responses, focusing on the accuracy of information they provide is more important than focusing on pronunciation or grammar. Errors are a natural occurrence in second language acquisition and require teachers modeling restatement as an essential process in encouraging ESL students to express themselves correctly.
For example – an ESL student responds to a question regarding protein in foods and states, “Some are eggs, milk, meats.” Modeling correct form through restatement is accomplished by the teacher by stating, “Yes, some foods that contain protein are eggs, milk, and meat.”
Making Connections: Teaching Science and ESL Learning Strategies
Teaching science to ESL students requires an understanding of their language and cultural differences they bring to a science classroom. Integrating instructional techniques in science lesson plans with active learning strategies for English as a second language learners produces better results in ESL students. They learn and develop a better comprehension of the scientific inquiry process, along with English vocabulary and structure.
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