ERIC Number: EJ1026253
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-1498
EISSN: N/A
The Accessibility of Academic Vocabulary to Spanish Speaking High School Biology Students
Reed, Deborah K.; Medina, Luis A.; Martinez, Norma A.; Veleta, Lorena G.
High School Journal, v97 n2 p80-91 Win 2013
One recommendation for better preparing English language learners (ELLs) for scientific fields is to capitalize on Spanish speakers' knowledge of cognates. However, little is known about the presence of cognates in high school biology content. This study examined the linguistic basis of 968 terms co-occurring in at least one of four textbooks and one of five sets of biology standards. Approximately 85.5% of terms were Spanish-English cognates, another 7.5% were partial cognates, and 1% had false cognates. Most terms were low frequency in both English (91%) and Spanish (89%). The discussion addresses the implications for teaching ELLs academic language and science content.
Descriptors: Vocabulary, Spanish Speaking, Biology, English Language Learners, Textbook Content, Linguistic Borrowing, Academic Standards, Incidence, English for Academic Purposes, Content Analysis, Lexicology, Secondary School Science, Contrastive Linguistics
University of North Carolina Press. 116 South Boundary Street, P.O. Box 2288, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2288. Tel: 800-848-6224; Tel: 919-966-7449; Fax: 919-962-2704; e-mail: uncpress@unc.edu; Web site: http://uncpress.unc.edu/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A