This study provides the first large-scale quantitative exploration of mathematical language use in upper elementary U.S. classrooms. Our approach employs natural language processing techniques to describe variation in teachers' and students' use of mathematical language in 1,657 fourth and fifth grade lessons in 317 classrooms in four districts…

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…

This paper presents a preliminary study of three six year-old children's use of functional language when engaging collaboratively on a mathematics task. The analysis is presented as an illustration of young children's authority and agency in mathematics as evidenced in their discourse. Modality, as a function of language, was seen to indicate…

In our work in teacher education and professional development, we aim to help teachers to learn to participate in, and create, classroom ecologies that support students' learning. In this article we focus on the challenges of developing a classroom ecology that provides mathematical sustenance for students. We pay particular attention to the ways…

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)

Recommends a change in the way mathematics is taught to engineers and scientists. Espouses a shift away from traditional methods to an approach that makes significant use of algebra packages. Suggests that teaching the language comprised of the notation and grammar of mathematics would be of more use and more accessible than focusing entirely on…

Describes a way to introduce and use mathematical language as an alternative to using vocabulary lists to introduce students to mathematical language in mathematics classrooms. Draws on multiple representations and student language. (YDS)

I draw attention to the distinction between reductionist views of "language" and the rich and complex ways in which we might approach language as social practice and suggest the latter view is evident in the set of papers collected here. Socially oriented linguists, including those in New Literacy Studies (NLS), look beyond reductionism, to…

The author argues for a clarification of standard notation rather than the use of flow diagrams to make the meaning of algebraic formulas more obvious to the beginning algebra student. (MN)

Mathematics is a language -- a way of describing, recording in mathematical sentences, and interpreting the symbols used to denote relationships. It is also an activity involving a way of thinking and a means of using relationships to solve problems. Opportunities must be provided for these activities in mathematics teaching. (Author/JN)

Suggested are sight word activities which will help students recognize both language and mathematical symbols in reading materials. Activities described include context clues, structural analysis, phonic cues, and dictionary skills. (DS)

Students who have the necessary computational skills can solve word problems in mathematics only if they can comprehend the language of the problem. In order to best teach reading comprehension of mathematical word problems, teachers should consider the following steps: (1) prepare for teaching a problem by analyzing the ways the problem can be…

This annotated bibliography lists 118 selected articles in the field of applied linguistics and language instruction which appeared in the journal "Modern Nyelvoktatas" from 1963 through 1970. The two categories containing the largest number of entries are: "Applied Linguistics/Linguistics" and "Pedagogy and Russian Language Teaching." Other…

Confrontation with a mathematical task causes a student to focus initial attention upon particular content and context cues based upon that student's belief system; the student assigns subsequent meaning to that task based upon previous mathematical experience and knowledge. In order to make effective use of students' belief systems, educators…