Third-Grade ELLs Making Sense of Sound: A Study on Language, Reasoning, and Physics Learning

Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction & Overview
• 2. Research Context & Methodology
  • 2.1. Participant Demographics
  • 2.2. Classroom Setting & Data Collection
• 3. Theoretical Framework & Key Concepts
  • 3.1. The Third Space in Learning
  • 3.2. Reasoning Strategies in Science
• 4. Analysis of Student Discourse & Findings
  • 4.1. Use of Everyday Language
  • 4.2. Interaction of Language Frameworks
  • 4.3. Levels of Mechanistic Reasoning
• 5. Technical Details & Conceptual Models
• 6. Results & Implications
• 7. Analytical Framework & Case Example
• 8. Future Applications & Research Directions
• 9. References
• 10. Expert Analysis & Critique

1. Introduction & Overview

This study investigates the discourse of 3rd-grade English Language Learners (ELLs) as they explore the physics of sound, specifically how the length and tension of a string affect the sound it produces. Despite the recognized importance of scientific inquiry and argumentation in physics education, these practices are often absent in classrooms serving ELLs. The research addresses a critical gap by examining how ELLs use everyday language to make sense of academic science concepts and how this process supports both conceptual understanding and English language development.

The central research questions are: (i) How do ELLs use everyday language to understand physics? (ii) How do everyday and academic language interact during the meaning-making process?

2. Research Context & Methodology

The study was conducted in a large urban K-8 public school with a significant ELL population.

2.1. Participant Demographics

Thirteen 3rd-grade students participated. They were enrolled in a Sheltered English Immersion Program (SEIP). The classroom was linguistically diverse, with nine different first languages represented among students from nine different countries. Length of residence in the U.S. varied from being U.S.-born to having arrived just three months prior to the study.

2.2. Classroom Setting & Data Collection

Data were collected during a science unit on Sound. Prior sessions had introduced core concepts like vibrations and their characteristics (volume, pitch, speed, size). The analyzed episode involved students discussing observations from an experiment where they flicked a ruler to explore sound production.

3. Theoretical Framework & Key Concepts

3.1. The Third Space in Learning

The study is grounded in the concept of the "Third Space"—a hybrid discourse that emerges when students' everyday, familiar language and experiences intersect with formal, academic language and concepts. This space is productive for learning as it allows for negotiation of meaning.

3.2. Reasoning Strategies in Science

The analysis focuses on three reasoning strategies students employed:

• Experiential Reasoning: Drawing on personal, lived experiences (e.g., "It sounds like my guitar").
• Imaginative Reasoning: Using analogy, metaphor, or narrative to explain phenomena.
• Mechanistic Reasoning: Attempting to describe the causal chain or mechanism behind an observation (e.g., connecting tighter string to faster vibration to higher pitch).

4. Analysis of Student Discourse & Findings

4.1. Use of Everyday Language

Students initially used rich, descriptive language from their home and play experiences to describe sounds (e.g., "like a mouse squeak," "boing"). This everyday lexicon served as a bridge to more abstract concepts like pitch and frequency.

4.2. Interaction of Language Frameworks

The discourse showed a dynamic interplay. A student might start with an everyday term ("tight"), the teacher might introduce an academic synonym ("high tension"), and the student would later use both, showing conceptual integration.

4.3. Levels of Mechanistic Reasoning

Students demonstrated varying levels of mechanistic reasoning. Some made simple correlations ("longer ruler, lower sound"). Others began constructing causal chains: "When I pull it tighter [increased tension], it wiggles faster [higher frequency], so the sound is higher [higher pitch]." The study found that allowing discourse in multiple languages and drawing on everyday experience supported the development of more sophisticated mechanistic explanations.

5. Technical Details & Conceptual Models

The core physics concept explored is the relationship between a string's physical properties and the sound it produces, governed by the wave equation for a vibrating string. The fundamental frequency $f$ is given by:

$f = \frac{1}{2L} \sqrt{\frac{T}{\mu}}$

Where:

• $L$ = length of the string
• $T$ = tension in the string
• $\mu$ = linear mass density

This formula shows that frequency (perceived as pitch) is inversely proportional to length and proportional to the square root of tension. The students' inquiry—varying length and tension on a ruler—directly manipulates these variables.

6. Results & Implications

Key Finding 1: ELLs successfully engaged in scientific sense-making by leveraging their multilingual repertoires and everyday experiences. The "Third Space" was a fertile ground for concept development.
Key Finding 2: The use of experiential and imaginative reasoning often preceded and supported the development of more formal mechanistic reasoning.
Key Finding 3: Physics inquiry provided a meaningful, shared context for authentic English language use, promoting both scientific discourse skills and general language competence.

Implication: Science classrooms for ELLs should be designed as emergent learning environments that intentionally invite and value students' home languages and everyday reasoning as legitimate resources for building academic understanding.

7. Analytical Framework & Case Example

Framework for Analyzing ELL Science Discourse:

1. Transcribe student dialogue during a science investigation.
2. Code utterances for language source: Everyday (E), Academic (A), or Hybrid (H).
3. Code reasoning type: Experiential (Exp), Imaginative (Img), Mechanistic (Mech).
4. Map sequences to identify patterns (e.g., E -> H -> A; or Exp -> Img -> Mech).
5. Look for moments

Example Analysis:
Student Utterance: "This one [short ruler] is like a little bird, tweet tweet! [E, Img] The long one is like my dad's voice, woooom. [E, Img] Maybe because the long thing has more space to... wobble slower? [H, Mech]"
Analysis: The student starts with imaginative, everyday analogies. The final utterance shows a hybrid language attempt ("wobble" is everyday; the concept of slowness related to size is mechanistic) to explain the difference, demonstrating the transition towards mechanistic reasoning.