Language and Communication in Mathematics Education International Perspectives

This book considers some of the outstanding questions regarding language and communication in the teaching and learning of mathematics – an established theme in mathematics education research, which is growing in prominence. Recent research has demonstrated the wide range of theoretical and methodological resources that can contribute to this area of study, including those drawing on cross-disciplinary perspectives influenced by, among others, sociology, psychology, linguistics, and semiotics. 

Examining language in its broadest sense to include all modes of communication, including visual and gestural as well as spoken and written modes, it features work presented and discussed in the Language and Communication topic study group (TSG 31) at the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-13). A joint session with participants of the Mathematics Education in a Multilingual and Multicultural Environment topic study group (TSG 32) enhanced discussions, which are incorporated in elaborations included in this book.  

Judit Moschkovich (USA) and Arindam Bose (India)

2. Fifty years of language data in mathematics education: A brief history

David Pimm (Canada)

3. Explaining as mathematical discursive practices of navigating through different epistemic fields

Kirstin Erath (Germany)

Marcus Schütte (Germany)

5. Authority and politeness: Complementary analyses of mathematics teaching episodes

Konstantinos Tatsis (Greece) and David Wagner (Canada)

6. The interplay of language and objects in the process of abstracting

Marei Fetzer (Germany) and Kerstin Tiedemann (Germany)

7. Interactional processes in inclusive mathematics teaching

Judith Jung (Germany)

8. How learners communicate their mathematics reasoning in a mathematics discourse

Benadette Aineamani (South Africa)

9. “I am sorry. I did not understand you”: The learning of dialogue by prospective teachers

Raquel Milani (Brazil)

10. Dealing with function word problems: Identifying and interpreting verbal representations

Carina Zindel (Germany)

11. 4-year-old language repertoire in a counting situation

David Wagner (Canada) and Annica Andersson (Sweden)

12. Making student explanations relevant in whole class discussion

Jenni Ingram, Nick Andrews and Andrea Pitt (United Kingdom)

13. A teacher’s use of revoicing in mathematical discussions

Kaouthar Boukafri (Spain), Marta Civil (USA) and Núria Planas (Spain)

14. Podcasts in second language math teaching as an instrument for measuring teachers’ language awareness

Pelagia Papadopoulou-Tzaki and Christine Bescherer  (Germany)

15. The meaning of ‘number’ in Kaiabi language: Indigenous teachers’ identity discourses in a multilingual setting

Jackeline Rodrigues Mendes (Brazil)

16. The use of language in the construction of the natural number meaning

Lorena Trejo-Guerrero and Marta Elena Valdemoros-Álvarez (Mexico)

17. Exploring how a grade 7 teacher promotes mathematical reasoning in multilingual mathematics class of English second language learners

Lindiwe Tshabalala (South Africa)

18. Identity fostered language communication in a mathematics classroom: An analysis

Arindam Bose (India), K. Subramaniam (India) and Mamokgethi Phakeng (South Africa)

Judit Moschkovich (USA)