Understanding Content Vocabulary SHOP TALK Understanding Content Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary Understanding the words in content reading determines how well you understand the rest of the reading. How do we help the student understand what they are reading in Shop Class?

In literature-based reading, a known word can often be substituted for an unknown word. This reading strategy does not always hold true for technical vocabulary. In an Automotive text, for example, crankshaft is crankshaft. There is no substitute for the word crankshaft. It is what it is. Crankshaft

The Challenge is to help the student understand the technical Vocabulary found in shop manuals and the language used in the shop setting.

The Strategy For students to truly learn within a discipline, in this example the automotive setting, they need to develop confidence expressing themselves in the language of that discipline. They need extensive practice in “talking the talk”.

To be accepted as knowledgeable within a discipline, an individual must demonstrate deep mastery of the language of that discipline. They must be able to use that vocabulary flexibly and confidently. Novice learners within a discipline – our students – require multiple opportunities to explore hearing, reading, and communicating the talk.

Mastery of content vocabulary includes three steps. Step 1 engages students in verbalizing their understandings of key vocabulary using personal, non-technical language.

A problem encountered by many students is that they memorize technical definitions but never really translate these words into a basic understanding. As a result, they become “fact parrots” who attempt to talk the talk but who really are not grounded in a true understanding of the concepts.

Therefore, the first challenge in learning content vocabulary is for students to explain a term using language that a “layman” would recognize.

Step 2 encourages students to begin to talk like “insiders”, like members of the trade community. Once they can break down a concept into more common language, they are ready to practice using the new vocabulary.

Students become familiar with reading,hearing and seeing new terms. Content vocabulary, which is first introduced as the written word in the theory section of the course, is then experienced as a solid object or action by the student to see, or do, again and again in practice

Step 3 provides students with extensive opportunities to communicate their understandings of course content using the language of the discourse. In particular, students need to become confident using content vocabulary in reading, speaking and writing; they need to begin to “sound” like a member of the trade community.

Informal writing such as learning logs, as well as written reports of labs preformed, are other examples of using the written word to help students gain facility in Content Vocabulary.