Literacy pedagogical content knowledge in secondary teacher education: reflecting on oral language and learning across the disciplines

Abstract

In this paper I argue that an understanding of the role of language and literacy in learning disciplinary content should be a key component of the pedagogical content knowledge covered in the preparation of high school teachers. I identify three components of this ‘literacy pedagogical content knowledge’ (LPCK): knowledge about how spoken and written language can be best structured for effective learning; recognition that subject areas have their own characteristic language forms and hence entail distinctive literacy practices; and capacity to design learning and teaching strategies that account for subject-specific literacies and language practices. I outline how this concept of LPCK has been incorporated into a teacher education program, focusing on prospective teachers' reflections of how spoken language in their high school classrooms contributes to the more literate forms of reasoning valued in various subjects.

Keywords:

• academic literacy
• language across content
• language-in-education
• oral language
• pedagogy
• scaffolding