Academic language and the challenge of reading for learning about science.
A major challenge to students learning science is the academic language in which science is written. Academic language is designed to be concise, precise, and authoritative. To achieve these goals, it uses sophisticated words and complex grammatical constructions that can disrupt reading comprehension and block learning. Students need help in learning academic vocabulary and how to process academic language if they are to become independent learners of science.
Snow
Catherine E
CE
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D032882:Comprehension; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007858:Learning; D008037:Linguistics; D011932:Reading; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*; D014825:Vocabulary