  Despite the extensive body of research that supports scientific inquiry and
argumentation as cornerstones of physics learning, these strategies continue to
be virtually absent in most classrooms, especially those that involve students
who are learning English as a second language. This study presents results from
an investigation of 3rd grade students' discourse about how length and tension
affect the sound produced by a string. These students came from a variety of
language backgrounds, and all were learning English as a second language. Our
results demonstrate varying levels, and uses, of experiential, imaginative, and
mechanistic reasoning strategies. Using specific examples from students'
discourse, we will demonstrate some of the productive aspects of working within
multiple language frameworks for making sense of physics. Conjectures will be
made about how to utilize physics as a context for English Language Learners to
further conceptual understanding, while developing their competence in the
English language.
