LEARNING IN A

SECOND LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE STRATEGIES IN TEACHING SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
MAY 21-23, 2019, PUERTO PRINCESA CITY
DANILO C. PADILLA
EDUCATION PROGRAM SUPERVISOR
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, MIMAROPA REGION

PROJECT STAR “SCIENCE TEACHER ACADEMY FOR THE REGIONS”

 Language impacts the daily lives of members of any
race, creed, and region of the world.
 Language helps express:
 our feelings;
desires, and
queries to the world around us

 Words, gestures and tone are utilized in union to portray a broad

spectrum of emotion.
 The ability to communicate in multiple languages is becoming more
and more important in the increasingly integrated global business
community.

 Communicating directly with new clients and companies in their

native language is one of the first steps to founding a lasting, stable
international business relationship.
 THE PHILIPPINE DIALECT
MAPare some 120 to 187 languages and
There
dialects in the Philippines, depending on
the method of classification.

The 1987 Constitution declares Filipino as

the national language of the country.
Filipino and English are the official
languages, with the recognition of the
regional languages as auxiliary official in
their respective regions (though not
specifying any particular languages).
Spanish and Arabic are to be promoted on
an optional and voluntary basis.
TOP 20 LANGUAGES/DIALECTS GENERALLY SPOKEN BY REGION
 THE MOTHER TONGUE
 GIHIGUGMA KO IKAW
 MAYAP A ABAK
I LOVE YOU CEBUANO
GOOD MORNING KAPAMPANGAN

AYAYATENKA
I LOVE YOU ILOCANO
 MAGSUKUL
 ASTA SA LIWAT.
GOODBYE HILIGAYNON THANKS TAUSUG
 WHAT IS THE 2nd LANGUAGE
 First Language (L1) refers to the language
that you learn at an early age, or the
language spoken in your house, by your
parents, siblings etc. This is often a dialect
(Mother Tongue).
 WHAT IS THE 2nd LANGUAGE
 Second Language (L2) refers to the language
learned after L1 has been acquired. In the
Philippine context, this is either Filipino
(Tagalog and/or English).
 WHAT IS THE 2nd LANGUAGE
 Filipino students have to learn Mathematics
and Science in two second languages:
-the medium of instruction, English and
-the specialized vocabulary and syntax of
Science and Mathematics.

SYNTAX – the arrangement of words and phrases

to create a well- formed sentences in a language.
 WHY IS ENGLISH THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION?

 A 2nd Language is necessary to serve a common

medium of communication or instruction;
 English is perceived to be the language of
technology and industrial progress;
 English allows access to a large amount of
information, and is perceived as necessary for global
competitiveness.
 EFFECT OF LANGUAGE ON LEARNING
 Tucker (1999): Individuals easily develop cognitive
skills and master content material that is taught in a
familiar language.
 Rolnik, et al (2001): The double task of mastering
mathematics content and language poses challenges
to second language learners as they have to
acquire two conceptually difficult and different
skills.
 SHORT EXERCISE
Describe a concept
 If you are a Math Teacher- describe FRACTIONS
 If you are a Science Teacher- describe ENERGY

What did you do? Did you. . .

 Write a standard definition
 Draw symbols, diagrams or figures
 SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS LANGUAGE
 WE THINK THAT:
 There is one right way of talking in science and mathematics:
serious, dignified, verbally explicit, full of detached universalized
generalization (e.g. Pythagorean Theorem)
 It involves getting the everyday word in order to replace it with
a technical term (e.g. not “bent” but “refracted”; not “bounced”
but “reflected”.
 This sets up a pervasive and false opposition between a word of
objective, authoritative, impersonal, humorless scientific fact and
the personal world of human uncertainties, judgements, values,
and interests (objective science versus subjective real world).
 INFORMAL

LANGUAGE
FORMAL LANGUAG
LANGUAGE E

MODEL
FOR LANGUAGE
OF
INSTRUCTIO
LEARNING N

STUDENT LEARNING
A programmer’s wife sends him to the grocery store
with the instruction, “Get a loaf of bread, and if they
have eggs, get a dozen.”

He comes home with a dozen loaves of bread and

tells her” They had eggs.”
 “DOBLEHIN ANG
EIGHT”
 ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN LEARNING
A system for transmitting information A system for making sense of experience

 The teacher describes,  The teacher persuades,

tells or reports suggests, or explores

 The students receive,  The students make

take notes, accumulate sense of teacher’s
information intended meaning.
 ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN LEARNING
A system for transmitting information A system for making sense of experience

 Teacher must clearly transmit  Learners re-express ideas based

learning to students; on their experience; learner’s
teacher’s speech is important speech is important.

 Content is clearly transmitted  Learners approximate the

by the teacher and students content from their experience
must accurately copy it and the process of decoding is
unchanged. more important.
 THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN STEM LEARNING
For students
 Organize and consolidate scientific and mathematical thinking
through communication
 Communicate scientific and mathematical thinking coherently and
clearly to peers, teachers, and others;
 Analyze and evaluate the scientific and mathematical thinking of
others;
 Use of language of science and mathematics to express ideas
precisely
 THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN STEM LEARNING
For teachers
 Gain insight into their students’ thinking;

 Diagnose their students’ misconception;

 Assess students’ thinking habits and attitudes;

 Evaluate their own teaching techniques.

K to 12 FRAMEWORKS: SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS and
ENGLISH
SPECIAL THANKS:

Jo-Ann M. Cordovilla
Bicol State University