Talking Science: Language, Learning, and Values

Talking Science: Language, Learning, and Values
by Jay L. Lemke
Paperback: 276 pages
Published: January 1, 1990
ISBN-10: 0893915661
ISBN-13: 978-0893915667

Talking Science discusses the role of language in teaching and in communication of scientific and technical subjects. It identifies and analyzes the many strategies teachers and students use to communicate about science and to influence one another's beliefs and behavior. Special emphasis is placed on analyzing patterns of social interaction, the role of language and semantics in communicating scientific concepts, and the social values and interests which lie behind these patterns of communication. Working from transcripts of recordings made in real science classrooms, this volume goes beyond previous work on the organization of classroom discourse to show how the conceptual content of a specialized subject is actually communicated through the semantic patterns that teachers and students weave with language. Modern techniques of discourse analysis are used to place the communication of science in the context of classroom lessons, debates, and disruptions. Critical analysis further shows how a "mystique of science" is perpetuated in classrooms and identifies the hidden social interests it serves.



Contents:

Preface to the Series
Introduction: Talking Science
Chapter 1. Two Minutes in One Science Classroom
Chapter 2. A Lot of Heat and Not Much Light
Chapter 3. "lf You Weren't Whispering To Scott, ..."
Chapter 4. The Science in the Dialogue
Chapter 5. Teaching Against the Mystique of Science
Chapter 6. How Different is Science?
Chapter 7. Changing the Way We Teach
Chapter 8. Making Meaning: The Principles of Social Semiotics
Appendix A. The Activity Types of Science Classrooms
Appendix B. Teacher and Student Strategies of Control
Appendix C. Semantic Relations for Thematic Analysis
Appendix D. Thematic Development Strategies
Appendix E. Methods Used in the Science Classroom Research
Transcripts of Lesson Episodes
References
Author Index
Subject Index