Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional Schooling

James Paul Gee

ISBN 10: 0415317762 / ISBN 13: 9780415317764

Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2004

About this Item

2004. 1st Edition. Paperback. Tackles the big ideas about language, literacy and learning. Why do poor and minority students under-perform in school? Do computer games help or hinder learning? What can new research in psychology teach our educational policy makers? Series: Literacies. Num Pages: 144 pages, 2 black & white tables. BIC Classification: CF. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 233 x 159 x 8. Weight in Grams: 238. . . . . .

Seller Inventory # V9780415317764

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Situated Language and Learning: A Critique of Traditional Schooling
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415317762
• ISBN 13: 9780415317764
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Why do poor and minority students under-perform in school? Do computer games help or hinder learning? What can new research in psychology teach our educational policy-makers?

In this major new book, Gee tackles the 'big ideas' about language, literacy and learning, putting forward an integrated theory that crosses disciplinary boundaries, and applying it to some of the very real problems that face educationalists today.

Situated Language and Learning looks at the specialist academic varieties of language that are used in disciplines such as mathematics and the sciences. It argues that the language acquisition process needed to learn these forms of language is not given enough attention by schools, and that this places unfair demands on poor and minority students.

The book compares this with learning as a process outside the classroom, applying this idea to computer and video games, and exploring the particular processes of learning which take place as a child interacts with others and technology to learn and play. In doing so, Gee examines what video games can teach us about how to improve learning in schools and engages with current debates on subjects such as 'communities of practice' and 'digital literacies'.

Bringing together the latest research from a number of disciplines, Situated Language and Learning is a bold and controversial book by a leading figure in the field, and is essential reading for anyone interested in education and language.

About the Author

James Paul Gee is the Tashia Morgridge Professor of Reading at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, USA. His previous publications include Social Linguistics and Literacies (Taylor & Francis 1996, 2nd edition), An Introduction to Discourse Analysis (Routledge 1999), and What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (2003).