INTEGRATING LANGUAGE

AND SCIENCE LEARNING

by: Angela L Carrasquillo and Vivian Rodriguez
taken from: Academic Success for English Language Learner: Strategies for K-12
Mainstream Teachers.

This paper is presented in Sociolinguitics Class

taught by Dr. Emilia Iragiliati

by:
Nur Alfa Rahmah

STATE UNIVERSITY OF MALANG

GRADUATE PROGRAM
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
November 2011

Summary
According to Carrasquillo and Rodriguez (2005: 346), science classroom
is an excellent setting for English Language Learners (ELLs) to increase their
understanding of the concepts and skills of science as well as to enhance their
second language proficiency through a meaning-making process. Following their
proposal are suggested ways for teachers in promoting science concept as well as
language skills in the classroom.
In understanding the concepts proposed by Carrasquillo and Rodriguez
(2005), we need to question and highlight several things: (1) what science is and
why it is important; (2) what the main objective in teaching science to ELL
students is; (3) how science and language learning contribute to each other; and
(4) what problem may appear.
Science is a way of understanding the world through observable pattern
and the application of these patterns to the unknown through observation, the
testing of hypotheses, and the design and carrying out of experiment, including
the measurement and evaluation data. It is the role of every school to help their
students in developing scientific literacy. It helps students to makes sense of the
world and everything occurring around them in a logical and rational way, which
is why it should be part of the thinking of daily living (Angela and Vivian: 2005,
437).
The main objective in the teaching of science to ELL students is to make
science material understandable and meaningful, to motivate and involve students,
and to enhance the acquisition of the concepts and skills of science as well as the
development of the English language. Therefore, to be able to achieve this goal,
science and English learning should contribute to each other in the classroom.
English language can contribute to science when the idea is communicated
through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. On the other hand, meaningful
science content and methodology can facilitate the acquisition of proficiency in
the English language (Carrasquillo and Rodriguez: 2005, 437).
The teaching of science in English language learning classroom is, of
course, not without any single problem. Problem might appear to students who are
not fully proficient in English language. Because the lack of necessary English

proficiency, they may have difficulty in understanding science content and

process. Concerning this problem, science should go hand in hand with English
learning. Its theoretical principles need to be included in the teaching process:
1. Science is a way of thinking, it involves doing, acting, investigating,
gathering, organizing, and evaluating.
2. Science draws on and constructs the body of facts, principles, laws, and
theories that attempt to explain physical, biological, and behavioral
phenomena.
3. Science includes a technological component
4. Science involves a behavioral component
5. (goal oriented, developmental, strategic, self-guided, sequential, influential)
The science curriculum needs to stress the cognitive process of observing,
inferring, predicting, hypothesizing, and experimenting. These skills provide a
rich environment for simultaneous cognitive and linguistic development.
Implication to English Language Teaching
A. Comprehensible Input
There are four ways to facilitate content understanding for second
language learners by putting comprehensible input to the learners
a) Discovery learning
In discovery environment, students should have the opportunity to find the
answer to the questions they themselves pose about a topic. They identify the
problem, hypothesize causes, design the procedures or experiment, and
conduct research to try to solve the problem. Beginning ELL learners usually
need teachers guidance to formulate the complete thought in English and
express their questions and answers. In this case, teachers can introduce cases
that they will enjoy, such as the ones that include live animals and plants. The
science curriculum needs to stress cognitive processes of observing, inferring,
predicting, hypothesizing, and experimenting.
b) Teaching for understanding
Students need to understand science as dynamic, cross-connected enterprise
involving mathematics, technology, and the natural and social sciences. They

need to view the world through the eyes of science and to develop each
science concept indifferent ways. For this purpose, the table below will be a
big help for them.
Topic:
What I did understand
What I did not understand
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
What I learned
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................
c) Teaching for concept development
Concepts are essential units of human thought. ELL students do not always
understand the concepts that are being introduced in the classroom because
they are unable to distinguish between important and unimportant data. Quinn
& Kessler (1992 in Angela and Vivian, 2005) identify several strategies to be
used to help students understand the main concepts in a given lesson: (1) using
visual reviews with lists and charts, (b) paraphrasing the salient points where
appropriate, and (c) asking students to provide oral summaries themselves.
The table below is the one of the models that can be used:
Signs of Pollution
Problem

Cause

Effect

What can we do to
solve the problem?

Soil erosion
Tree cutting
Global warming
d) Vocabulary development
Vocabulary can be best introduced using real objects, pictures, and other
visual devices.

B. Collaborative Interaction

In terms of collaborative interactions in the science classroom, teachers

should provide an ideal environment to learn a new language. In this case,
collaborative strategy is needed, such as cooperative learning or holistic
approaches to instruction. These are the activities that can be applied in the
classroom:
(1) science investigation
This activity can foster conversation, scientific inquiry, thinking, and
interaction on meaningful problems. Students share responsibility for
analyzing and participating in activities.
(2) expansion of concepts
In this way, students can apply concepts and skills that they have learned on a
specific topic. Teachers can introduce an invention activity, where groups
of students were invited by the teacher to think about an invention that they
would design and describe the process involved in carrying out such an
invention. Afterwards, they work in small groups to summarize what they
have learned through that experience.
(3) problem-solving situations
In problem-solving, students must select and order varied types of data, using
concepts that they already know to guide their search for answers to
questions. The process leads to an understanding of new concepts and their
relationship.
(4) development of thinking skills
Thinking skills can be developed through teacher-student questioning, or
through scheduled activities like problem-solving and decision making.
(5) development of study skills.
English language students frequently need assistance in learning how to
study. There are several strategies recommended, such as: graphic organizers,
diagrams, and mapping.
C. Other Elements
Mainstream classroom need to make sure that instruction, curriculum and
the classroom environment carefully attend to students linguistic and cultural
diversity. Focusing on students language function, the cultural relevancy of the

classroom, and the provision of variety of manipulatives, facilitates the acquisition

of science concepts and language skills among LEP/ELL students.
Types

Skills

Outlines

summarizing, making prediction

Time lines

organizing and sequencing events

Flow charts

chronologically, comparing events

Mapping

showing cause and effect

Graphs and charts

examining movement and spatial relation

Diagrams

organizing and comparing data, and contrasting

Application
LESSON PLAN
School level
Lesson
Class/Semester
Standard Competence
Basic Competence
Time Allocation
Lesson Method
Activity
Topic
Media
Duration/minute
10
3

10
5

: Senior High School

: English Language
: XII/1
: 5.
Able to think scientifically about the
harms of the internet and grow scientific
sense of thinking
: 5.1
Can show logical and choronological
thinking during the contribution of
opinions in group and class discussion
: 2 x 35 menit
: English scientific learning
: Problem-solving situation
: The harms internet cause to young students
: Problem-solving sheet, powerpoint, video

Activities
Pre-Activity
Teacher introduces the topic to the class with powerpoint and
video as the supporting tool
Teacher divides the students in groups of five
Teacher asks the students to discuss about the topic and gives
direction to students what to answer during the discussion
Whilst-Activity
Exploration and discussion: Students discuss in group about the
topic and answers to the problems given
Syntesizing: Students conclude the discussion
Reporting: Students report the discussion result in a form of

answers to the question

Argumentation: Each group representative presents their
discussion result to the class
Meaning negotiation: Any group member can express what he
agree and disagree from the opinions of other groups and the
reason why; and the other group member can respond
When the time is up, teacher can close the class discussion.
Teachers give comments such as well done, good job, or very good
so that the students feel motivated
Post-Activity
Teacher asks the students to conclude what they have learnt from
the discussion; students write their report
Each students submit their report in written form; Teacher closes
the class meeting

15
15

7
3

Problem-solving sheet
Topic: What harms can internet cause to young students?
Problems to Answer
1. Harms caused by the internet
2. Current facts related to it
3. Experts statement about it
4. What students must do? And why?
5. What adults must do? And why?
6. What government must do? Why?
7. What does this research contribute to young students?
8. Conclusion
Reference
Carrasquillo, Angela L. and Rodriguez, Vivian. Integrating Language and Science
Learning. Academic Success for English Language Learner: Strategies for
K-12 Mainstream Teachers. Patricia A. Richardo-Amato and Marguerite Ann
Snow (Eds). 2005. New York: Pearson Education.