New Perspectives in Science Education
Fostering Subject Specific Language Abilities of Future Chemistry Teachers
Maike Busker, University of Flensburg (Germany)
Monika Budde, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifwald (Germany)
Abstract
In chemistry lessons teachers and students have to deal with chemical formula, technical terms (e.g. oxidation, chemical reaction) and specific textual forms (e.g. lab report). As different research programs show, there is a high correlation between language and content learning [e.g. 1]. Hence subject specific language is of high relevance in chemistry lessons and also in chemistry teacher training programs.
Regarding combining language and content learning text competence is important. This combines the skills to pick information out of written texts and use this information to gain new knowledge [2].
Future chemistry teachers have to acquire a highly specialized academic language at university. Also they have to become aware of the importance of language during their lessons and about the specific needs of their future students at school.
The interdisciplinary research project “Fach-ProSa” combining the disciplines of chemistry and german language is concerned with the professional development of future teachers enhancing their subject specific and general language abilities in context with their chemistry studies. It proposes a model for developing future teachers’ subject-specific linguistic skills.
In this contribution we give a short overview of the research project “Fach-ProSa” and present models for learning settings and materials. Additionally, first results of an empirical study to acquire the text competence of future chemistry teachers are shown.
