Beating the Language Barrier in Science Education: In-Service Educators' Coping with Slow Learners in Mauritius

This study describes how in-service teachers in the pre-vocational sector in Mauritius adopted specific strategies to overcome the language barrier in the learning of science (Van Driel, Verloop & de Vos, 1998). Students of form III were taught few basic ideas related to "Earth & Space" through the use of role play and ICT. The concepts chosen for this study were "occurrence of day and night", "relative positions and motions of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun" and "main constituents of our solar system". Classroom observations, focus group discussions with students, interviews with educators and post-test for students show that role play and ICT can potentially overcome the language barrier in the learning of science at pre-vocational level. Findings reveal that reading and writing should be kept to a minimum while use of Mother Tongue (Kreol language) and hands-on activities with oral interactions must be encouraged during lessons conducted in pre-vocational schools.