Lulu Garah, Shulamit Kapon

Original article: Garah, L., & Kapon, S. (2025). Why do minoritized students shift between languages during a physics inquiry? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 62(10), 2147-2168.
https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.70016

Science learners are expected to ask questions, test ideas, and explain their thinking. Science teachers are increasingly working with multilingual learners in classrooms where students learn in a dominant language that is not their first. If students switch between languages during learning, it is seen as a sign of limited English proficiency or a helpful processing strategy. Recent research shows that language use is also shaped by deeper classroom dynamics, including power, participation, and students’ comfort with taking intellectual risks.

Why It Matters

By paying attention to how students use language, teachers can better understand their students’ experiences and create more supportive science learning environments. Rather than viewing language differences as barriers, educators can see them as assets for sensemaking and collaboration.

Key Findings for the Classroom

This two-year study followed two high school students from an Arab community in Israel who participated in a Hebrew-speaking physics inquiry program. Working with a teacher who spoke only Hebrew, the students conducted an open-ended physics inquiry project. 

Using classroom observations, video recordings, and interviews, researchers examined how and why students shifted between languages during scientific discussions. The findings highlight two important ways students used their first language:

• To develop and express complex scientific ideas more clearly

• To create a more private space where they could work through confusion, disagreement, and uncertainty without fear of immediate evaluation 

Private peer conversations allowed students to stay engaged in challenging tasks, especially when they were unsure or still articulating their ideas. At the same time, students were navigating two different classroom expectations: one where mistakes are part of learning (like in a research team), and another where being wrong can feel risky (like in a traditional classroom).

Over time, as the teacher consistently encouraged open discussion and treated students as collaborators, the students became more confident. They began to share their ideas publicly, question the teacher’s thinking, and take greater ownership of their learning.

Practical Tips for Teachers

This study offers practical insights for improving science instruction for multilingual students:

• Recognize that language switching can signal students are actively thinking, especially when grappling with difficult concepts 
• Make classroom expectations clear by emphasizing that uncertainty, questioning, and mistakes are part of doing science 
• Support epistemic agency by valuing students’ ideas and reasoning over perfect language use 
• Encourage peer discussions in students’ home languages as a way to promote deeper understanding and engagement