Teaching Mathematics and English to English Language Learners Simultaneously (original) (raw)

2007, Middle School Journal

This article re ects the following This We Believe characteristics: An inviting, supportive, and safe environment-Curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory-Multiple learning and teaching approaches that respond to student diversity Oksana, born in the Ukraine, has been in the United States for more than a year. Her family lives in a new development in town, and her parents speak very little English. Like her three younger siblings, she has made friends, but tends to interact only when approached. While her English skills are improving and her hard work is evident, she experiences a great deal of frustration in the mathematics classroom. In the past, Oksana was asked to solve problems and give the answer, often told exactly how to arrive at the solution. Now, to succeed, Oksana not only has to provide the right answer, but she has to explain her reasoning and the process by which she arrived at her solution. Oksana is sometimes confused, sometimes frustrated, but always challenged by this new classroom norm that requires sophistication on both mathematical and linguistic levels. Oksana's situation is not unique. While English language learners (ELLs) have varying levels of mathematical proficiency, those in reform-oriented classrooms rich in problem solving, reasoning, and communication (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000) are faced with added challenges. Here, students are required to "talk math" (paraphrasing Lemke, 1990); that is, to use the specific academic language needed to learn and express mathematical knowledge. Talking math not only makes use of specialized vocabulary (e.g., "logarithmic," "asymptotic," and "collinear"), but it also uses a variety of words and phrases that mean one thing in mathematics and another in everyday contexts (e.g., "rational" and "circular"). Just as the use of formal algebraic symbols can be a barrier to some students who are first learning about algebraic concepts, conversation in mathematics classrooms can be a barrier to understanding for ELLs. This article discusses ways in which middle school mathematics teachers can assist their students, and particularly ELLs, in a two-for-one learning experiencelearning both mathematics and the discourse skills needed to successfully participate in reform-oriented mathematics classrooms. Much of the discussion can easily generalize to other content areas. We begin with a brief overview of the changing U.S. demographic picture and its impact on schools. We then focus on the unique characteristics of common mathematical discourse, the challenges it can pose to ELLs, and strategies that can help students learn to "talk math."