Scientific knowledge, skills and understanding are integral to conservation practice and therefore critical in conservation teaching and learning. This paper explores the barriers conservation students, who often come from a predominately arts/humanities background, may experience in becoming scientifically literate. Approaches to teaching science are compared with strategies used for teaching and learning a new language. Methods used to teach science within the postgraduate Diploma course in Textile Conservation taught at the Textile Conservation Centre in affiliation with the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London are outlined.