This document discusses reading proficiency in physical science. It outlines five levels of language proficiency from elementary to native level. It also defines reading proficiency as the ability to read proficiently, noting that science reading requires English proficiency. The document then discusses problems beginners and advanced students face in science reading, including understanding symbols, units, equations and abstract concepts. Teachers are advised to clarify concepts, units, symbols and common misconceptions to help students overcome challenges in science reading proficiency.

1. Reading proficiency in
Physical Science

2. What is proficiency?
 The ability to do something well because of training and practice.
 Advancement toward the attainment of a high degree of knowledge or
skill.
 Mastery of a specific behaviour or skill demonstrated by consistently
superior performance, measured against established or popular standards.

3. What is language proficiency?
 Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of
an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language.
 Language proficiency is nothing but skill, like dancing, playing
the guitar, riding a bike etc.

4. Levels of language proficiency.
 Elementary Level: Can fulfil the basic need in language, such as ordering meals,
asking time etc.
 Limited working proficiency: Can fulfil routine social demands, such as small talk
about one’s self, one’s family and current events.
 Professional working proficiency: can discuss a variety topics with ease and almost
completely understand what others are saying.
 Full professional proficiency: Can participate in all manners of conversations with
easy and only rarely making grammatical mistakes.
 Native or Bilingual proficiency: Can use the language the way an educated native
speaker of the language would.
There are five levels of language proficiency:

5. What is reading proficiency?
 The ability to read proficiently, is a fundamental skill that affects the learning
experiences.
 Science reading must need proficiency in English reading.
 There is a relationship between English reading proficiency and performance on science
assessments and it also bring difference in science reading skill between English
Language background and Non English language background.

6. Problems in Science reading.
 We can categorize the problems in two type.
1. Problem for beginners.
2. Problem in higher study.

7. Problem faced by beginners.
 Lack of knowledge in use of variables.
 Do not have sufficient knowledge on various symbol.
 e.g- Various Latin and Greek letters, mathematical symbols like 𝛼, 𝛽, ∈, ∆, 𝛻, , ,
𝑑
𝑑𝑥
etc.
 Often face confusing situation for various Capital and Small letters in Greek alphabet.
Like-
Σ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎; (Sigma)
Θ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜃; (Theta)
Ω 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜔; (Omega)
 Few Greek letters similar to English letters. Like:
𝜔 (small omega) and ‘w’
𝜂 (small eta) and ‘n’
Η (capital eta) and ‘H’

8. Problem faced by beginners. (cont.)
 Use of different symbol for the same physical quantity.
E.g.- Some text books express density with “D” and few others “𝜌”
Some text books express current with “C” and few others “I”
 Not much difference in few symbols but carry fully different meaning.
E.g.- ∆𝑥 implies difference between ‘x’ or small amount of ‘x’ variable. But, 𝛻𝑥 implies the change of
‘x’ in a particular direction or Gradient.
 Lack of concepts about various unit processes. CGS and SI or MKS.
E.g.- “Is cm (centimetre) a SI unit or CGS unit?”
 Different value of same physical quantity in different unit process.
E.g.- Gravitational acceleration has value 9.8 m/sce2 in SI unit process and 980 cm/sec2 in CGS unit
process.
Charge of electron in SI unit 1.6 × 10−19
Coulomb and in SI unit it is 4.8 × 10−10
esu.
 Confusion between scalar and vector quantities.
E.g.- Which one is scalar? Distance or Displacement?
What is the different between “Velocity” and “Speed”?

9. Problem faced by beginners. (cont.)
 Use of symbols in metric unit process.
E.g.- 𝜇 implies × 10−6
and called Micro… as 𝜇𝑚 should be pronounced as “micro meter”
Similarly 𝑝 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 × 10−12
, ′𝑀′ 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 × 106
and ′𝑚′
𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 × 10−3
but for implying × 103
we
use “𝑘”. Etc.
 Misconception about proportionality constants.
 Few words are appear to be similar.
E.g.- “Isotope”-”Isobar”-”Isotone” and “Nuclear fission”-”Nuclear fusion” etc.
 Few definitions are nearly similar as well as the name of the topic.
E.g.- Gram atomic mass and Gram molar mass. Molar Volume etc.
 Problem in writing chemical symbol and formula of Various chemical compounds.
E.g.- Calcium Chloride : Cacl2 or CaCl2 or CACL2 etc.
 Use of “arrow” or “equal” sign, when balancing Chemical equations.
E.g.- H2+O2 → H2O or 2H2+O2 → 2H2O or 2H2+O2 = 2H2O

10. Problem faced by beginners. (cont.)
 Use of calculator in Higher secondary level.
 Lack of knowledge in mathematics.
E.g.- especially to solve some problems using calculus. For beginners calculus is
the most difficult mathematical process. They often do the mistakes like
following.
𝑑
𝑑𝑥
( ) is a operator of differential calculus, it implies change of
bracketed quantity with respect to 𝑥. But they are
confused with quantity like
𝑥
𝑦
which implies 𝑥 is divided by 𝑦.
Definite and Indefinite integrals and Integration constants.

11. Problems faced in higher study (Graduation and
Post Graduation Level).
 In case of higher study problems are quite different. Language problem is the
major problem here for Non English backgrounds’. Sometimes German language is
also show its necessity.
 Topics are too difficult to understand like “General theory of Relativity”, “String
Theory” etc.
 Limited knowledge in Mathematics. “Lack of knowledge in Tensor analysis”, “Non
linear dynamics”.
 Limited knowledge in Computing.
 Hard to visualise most of the theories.
 Experimental implications are not possible always.

12. Teachers’ role to solve the problems.
 Teachers shall have to give caution to students about this type of mistakes.
 He will clear the conception of different unit processes is used in the text and
about their different values.
 Teacher will also teach student about the use of various symbol and Greek letters.
 Teachers shall have to clear the concept about “arrow” and “equal” sign when they
write Chemical equation.
 And so on…