Multilingualism in Mathematics Classrooms

Global Perspectives

Edited by Dr. Richard Barwell

Publication date:

15 September 2009

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

234x156mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781847692054

Mathematics classrooms are increasingly multilingual, whether they are found in linguistically diverse societies, urban melting pots or planned bilingual programs. The chapters in this book present and discuss examples of mathematics classroom life from a range of multilingual classroom settings, and use these examples to draw out and discuss key issues for the teaching and learning of mathematics and language. These issues relate to pedagogy, students’ learning, curriculum, assessment, policy and aspects of educational theory. The contributions are based on research conducted in mathematics classrooms in Europe, South Asia, North America and Australia. Recurring issues for the learning of mathematics include the relationship between language and mathematics, the relationship between formal and informal mathematical language, and the relationship between students’ home languages and the official language of schooling.

1 Mathematics in Multilingual Classrooms: An Introductory Discussion - Richard Barwell

2 Mapping the Mathematical Langscape - Frank Monaghan

3 Somali Mathematics Terminology: A Community Exploration of Mathematics and Culture - Susan Staats

4 Politics and Practice of Learning Mathematics in Multilingual Classrooms: Lessons from Pakistan - Anjum Halai

5 Mathematical Word Problems and Bilingual Learners in England - Richard Barwell

6 How Language and Graphs Support Conversation in a Bilingual Mathematics Classroom - Judit Moschkovich

7 Reflections on a Medium of Instruction Policy for Mathematics in Malta - Marie T. Farrugia

8 Bilingual Mathematics Classrooms in Wales - Dylan V. Jones

9 Bilingual Latino Students, Writing and Mathematics: A Case Study of Successful Teaching and Learning - Kathryn Chval and Lena Licon Khisty

10 Mathematics Teaching in Australian Multilingual Classrooms: Developing an Approach to the Use of Classroom Languages - Philip C. Clarkson

11 Where Next for Multilingual Mathematics Classrooms? - Richard Barwell

The book adds significantly to the scholarly literature on linguistic diversity issues in mathematics education. This book also succeeds in capturing the powerful learning environments that teachers are intuitively creating, by analyzing classroom social interactions. This book will appeal to mathematics educators, teacher candidates, and researchers who are concerned with mathematics learning and teaching in multilingual classrooms. Also, this book will provide insights into second language educators, teacher candidates, and researchers who are interested in second language learning in content areas. The authors successfully described the complexity of teaching mathematics to linguistically diverse learners with the intent of sharing these insights with the international community of teachers and researchers who are concerned with multilingualism as a whole.