Science literacy for all students

Language, culture, and knowledge about nature and naturally occurring events

Abstract

It is important that the first, native, home, or mother tongue language (L1), cultural and personal beliefs, ontological assumptions, and epistemological beliefs of students be explicitly considered in teaching and learning environments where a different language of instruction (L2) and an English-dominated scientific enterprise (L3) are commonplace. Teaching in today’s multicultural classrooms in most countries requires understanding of the three-language issue. Research inquiries into language, literacy, and science issues must consider the values, beliefs, and practices and the traditional knowledge about nature and naturally occurring events embedded in language and culture. This introductory piece provides a reference frame for the roles of the nature of western science, language, and culture for these considerations in an attempt to produce insights for culturally sensitive curricula and effective constructivist teaching. Some authors will question the explicit and implicit values of western science as outlined here, which is the central purpose of this special issue. Cultural restoration, environmental literacy to survive, and other priorities are competing goals with acculturation into western science discourse communities for some peoples.