Fast-tracking concept learning to English as an Additional Language (EAL) students through corpus-based multilingual glossaries
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2010
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CSSALL Publishers
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
The aim of this article is to discuss the corpus-based Multilingual Concept Glossaries project at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and to show how multilingual glossaries can be used to fast-track concept literacy among English as Additional Language students (EALs). In South Africa, it is an accepted fact that most of EAL students from poor academic and family backgrounds enter higher education with limited English proficiency which makes it difficult for them to learn and understand concepts in different content learning areas (cf.Kapp 1998; Council on Higher Education 2007; National Benchmark Tests Project Progress Report 2009). Thus, the development of the multilingual glossaries is aimed at providing academic support to these students. It is the contention of this article that the development of these glossaries constitutes an important intervention strategy to optimize concepts learning in different content areas to EAL students. The pedagogic value of glossaries is widely acknowledged by many scholars in the field of academic literacy (cf. Hüllen1989; Marzano 2003, 2004; Graves 2006; Beck, McKeown & Kucan 2008; Hiebert & Kamil 2005; Farstrup & Samuels 2008; Sauer 2009). However, as the Project is still in its initial stage, the article mainly provides a conceptual argument based on two theories, namely, the theory of conceptual difficulty (cf.Perkins 2007; 2009), which provides a theoretical framework for analysing EAL students' conceptual difficulties, and Vygotsky's socio-cultural constructive theory which provides a framework of pedagogic intervention to fast-track concepts learning.
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This is a copy of the published manuscript of Madiba, M. 2010. Fast-tracking concept learning to English as an Additional Language (EAL) students through corpus-based multilingual glossaries. Alternation. 17(1): 225-248. Available: http://alternation.ukzn.ac.za/Files/docs/17.1/11 Mad FIN.pdf.
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Madiba, M. 2010. Fast-tracking concept learning to English as an Additional Language (EAL) students through corpus-based multilingual glossaries. Alternation.