Una propuesta para el manejo del lenguaje del texto de Ciencias Naturales

Abstract

The language used to express academic contents usually influences the understanding of the natural phenomena described. In a study about the ways of helping students cope with the language of textbooks, an awareness-raising process of linguistic features of textbooks was designed and implemented. Both researchers and teachers carried out an analysis of the linguistic features that make students’ comprehension difficult. Special emphasis was laid on topic-types, textual units and vocabulary. Most students developed academic understanding of the concepts taught. This enabled the researchers to conclude that the teacher’s methodological strategies to deal with the above mentioned features were helpful in the students’ learning processes. However, the pressure exercised by the school and the usual learning conceptions held by teachers, are an obstacle for achieving higher levels of learning.