Aspects of scientific language and everyday language in textual productions of chemistry students: verbal voices and grammatical metaphors

Abstract

This work is part of a master's research dedicated to investigating possible manifestations of tensions between aspects of scientific language and everyday language in textual productions of chemistry students in order to understand aspects of the relationship between learning in Science and the process of appropriation of scientific language. Specifically in this work, we analyze occurrences of four textual marks in technical reports produced by students of a technical course in Chemistry: the use of verbal voices and the use of grammatical metaphors. The research has two steps methodologically based on Discursive Textual Analysis. The results indicate the coexistence of the three verbal voices analyzed and, less frequently, the occurrence of nominalization of procedures, processes, and actions. We believe that this analysis can contribute to the understanding of the processes of appropriation of scientific language in science learning by high school technical professional education students.