Language and the science curriculum

Abstract

Current interest about which language (Maltese or English) is more suitable for teaching certain subjects in the secondary school touches upon important educational issues (1). Language is not simply the medium of exchange of ideas but, once acquired, it becomes the instrument that the learner can then use to bring order into his/her environment (2). In the absence of a prescribed language policy, many teachers opt for the language which in their judgement best helps pupils to understand the subject and to perform well in tests and examinations. In practice this means that they use a mixture of languages depending on the objectives of their lessons. This article focuses on the language used in science teaching and it is based on research carried out in June 1984 as an off-shoot of an evaluation of the science curriculum in the first two years of the Area Secondary schools (3). At that time, excluding pupils attending Junior Lyceums and private schools, the Area Secondary schools catered for 60 percent of all boys and 66.5 percent of all girls at Form 1 and Form 2 level.