A poetic structure occurs when a speaker's comment repeats some of the syntax and words of a previous comment. During a collaborative algebra task, a student explained a property five times over a few minutes, in slightly different ways. He consistently used poetic structures that were marked elaborately through discursive modes such as pause,…

By combining linguistic analysis with metaphors for mediating between a body of knowledge and teaching practice, we exemplify curriculum developers' voices in teacher guides. We discuss two types of voices, that of the Expert, who talks through the teacher and restricts the pedagogical agency of the teacher, and that of the Philosopher, who speaks…

Presents three schools of argument on mathematical communication: (1) cognitivist argument; (2) interactionist argument; and (3) neo-pragmatist argument. Distinguishes the mathematical versus talking about mathematics, talking mathematics versus learning the art of mathematical conversation, and the conversation of mathematicians versus students'…

Advocates "why" and even "if at all" types of questions in addition to the most commonly investigated questions in mathematics education, the "how to" types of questions. Proposes a framework that allows for consideration of mathematics in relation to the rest of human thought and knowledge communicated by formal education. (ASK)

Suggests that it is possible to apply the principles of literary criticism to the mathematical text. Discussed are the areas of rhetoric, metaphor, and metonymy. (PK)

Describes theoretical points concerning the idea of semiotic means of objectification. Analyzes classroom activity by observing the interface between the spoken and the seen. Discusses the role of a category of linguistic terms related to actions of showing or pointing out something that constitute a key element in the mathematical discursive…

Described are two kinds of mathematical communications. Discusses how language is used to communicate mathematics, especially as it relates to the triangle formed by writer, text, and reader. (PK)

Contends that, though much attention is given in mathematics to the problem of sensitizing people to the need for identifying elements of a situation and representing them symbolically, little or no effort is devoted to the problem of helping them express the relationships among these elements. (11 references) (MKR)

A major component of student difficulty with algebra is the inability to make sense of the algebra symbol system as a language. Accordingly, remedies should be sought by considering algebra in a linguistic sense. (PK)

The focus is on aspects of learning and teaching mathematics in which the "distance" between the mother tongue of the learner and the language which dictated the design of the curriculum plays a major role. Illustrations concern students in Botswana. (MNS)