ABSTRACT
The move from primary to secondary school can be challenging. Some students may show a drop in attainment following transition and, for many, their experiences of transition may have a far-reaching impact. A body of research has explored social, psychological, emotional and academic aspects of transition. Affective factors likely contribute to the challenges of transition. This chapter argues that the language children encounter in school may represent a further barrier to learning. While there is relatively little research to date specifically examining children’s language exposure before and after transition, teachers and researchers are aware that academic and disciplinary language becomes more technical throughout education and that some children struggle with the language of school. In this chapter, the context of the research is outlined. Extracts from interviews are also presented, in which children themselves can be seen to express some awareness of language that they find challenging, such as polysemy, metaphor and formal language. This book argues that by understanding the nature of the linguistic barriers to learning encountered during transition, work can be developed to mitigate their impact.
