Within the research on bilingual learning, first studies have revealed that content learned in one language is retrieved more slowly when participants have to switch language from instruction to testing (i.e., language-switching costs, LSC). These costs are attributed to language-dependent knowledge representations. However, the cognitive…

The importance of language in mathematics education becomes increasingly obvious, as multilingual learners are not an exception nowadays. But how can language dominance and the language of first or later instruction affect arithmetic training in adults? 101 bilingual adults whose first and dominant language was German (LM+ and L1) and who spoke…

The script relativity hypothesis proposes that the scripts we read and write affect our cognition. The current study tested this hypothesis by comparing Chinese and English cognitive-linguistic skills and three cognitive abilities, including verbal working memory capacity, nonverbal IQ, and arithmetic calculation, across groups of children with…

Language is often depicted as the sine qua non of mathematical thinking, a view buttressed by findings of language-of-training effects among bilinguals. These findings, however, have been limited to studies of arithmetic. Nothing is known about the potential influence of language on the ability to learn rules about the relations among variables…

Language skills play an important role in mathematics development. Students (7 to 10 years of age) learning school mathematics either in the same language used at home (first-language learners; n = 103) or in a different language (second-language learners; n = 57) participated in the study. Relations among cognitive skills (i.e., receptive…

In this case, I describe a case study I carried out with a class of 5-year-old children. As a primary mathematics teacher-educator, I wished to experience--first hand--teaching mathematics language explicitly, as recommended by many international researchers and also by myself as part of my University courses. The topic taught was subtraction, and…

Incorporating the use of children's literature when teaching mathematics to young children is a developmentally appropriate practice: "Literature … provides a means for children to encounter mathematical concepts and vocabulary in the context of something familiar, a story" (Fogelberg et al. 2008). Moreover, introducing culturally…

Previous research has emphasized the importance of language for learning mathematics. This is especially true when mathematical problems have to be extracted from a meaningful context, as in arithmetic word problems. Bilingual learners with a low command of the instructional language thus may face challenges when dealing with mathematical…

For over a decade, research studies of mathematics education in high-performing countries have pointed to the conclusion that the mathematics curriculum in the United States must become substantially more focused and coherent in order to improve mathematics achievement in this country. To deliver on the promise of common standards, the standards…

More than 10 percent of the students in our nation's public schools are English language learners, and this number grows each year. Many of these students are falling behind in math. "Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class, Grades 3-5" outlines the challenges ELL students face when learning math and provides a wealth of specific…

Young Filipino children are expected to solve mathematical word problems in English, a task which they typically encounter only in schools. In this exploratory study, task-based interviews were conducted with seven Filipino children from a public school. The children were asked to read and solve addition and subtraction word problems in English or…

This study investigated the effects of second language (L2) proficiency and task-induced cognitive workload on participants' speech production and retention of information in an environment designed to simulate the demands faced by pilots receiving instructions from air-traffic controllers. Three groups of 20 participants (one…

Curricula for English as a second language geared toward youth and adults in correctional institutions are rare. Using the popular Parker Brothers game, "Monopoly," a learning unit was prepared combining high motivation and entertainment with practice in survival language and computational skills in a real-life situation. This unit is…

There has been little research in the UK into how students learning English as an additional language (EAL) learn mathematics. This article reports results from a three-year study of the participation of learners of EAL in Year 5 in an arithmetic word problem task. The research, drawing on ideas from discursive psychology, used discourse analysis…

Designed by California's Region II Office of Migrant Education to aid in training teacher aides working with migrant children, this manual outlines activities used in teaching by the aides. Each activity is described in terms of the concept to be taught, the tutorial skill required, standard instructional media, rationale for the media, expected…