The language of chemistry

While chemistry is often referred to as having its own unique language, studying our subject in a language other than your mother tongue is undisputedly more difficult than for native English speakers. Differentiation is therefore recommended when teaching students for whom English is an additional language (EAL), but ideally without increasing your workload. Luckily, many strategies that benefit EAL students are also invaluable for their classmates. This article considers some chemistry specific strategies to engage and support all students, including those accessing content in an additional language.

Tom Husband discusses how to use general teaching strategies when working with EAL students.