Open Access13. The Intersection of Mathematics and Language in the Post-Secondary Environment: Implications for English Language Learners
Author(s) -
Jean Choi,
Rebecca K. Milburn,
Brett Reynolds,
Philip Marcoccia,
Patrick Justin Silva,
Sikander Panag
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
collected essays on learning and teaching
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2368-4526
DOI - 10.22329/celt.v6i0.3709
Subject(s) - ell , vocabulary , mathematics education , english language , disadvantage , language of mathematics , sentence , intersection (aeronautics) , english language learner , computer science , mathematics , teaching method , linguistics , vocabulary development , artificial intelligence , philosophy , engineering , aerospace engineering
Given the increasing number of English Language Learners (ELLs) in post-secondary environments (Roessingh & Douglas, 2012), educational practices such as availability of language support for mathematics should be assessed to ensure that all students’ needs are met. To explore the effects of language on mathematics in ELLs, mathematical test items were presented in four language contexts: vocabulary knowledge, negation, preposition use, and atypical sentence structure. Sixty students enrolled in mathematics courses volunteered to complete the mathematics task. Results suggest that math items falling into each of the four language contexts disadvantage ELLs, highlighting that the needs of ELLs should be considered at all levels, from classroom practices to educational policy.