English Language Learners and Math

 Many teachers mistakenly believe that "math is a universal language" or that "everyone understands numbers".  When it comes to English Language Learners (ELL's), math can be very confusing. Math may be just as tricky for ELLs as science, social studies, and any other language-based subject.

Consider these points when working with ELLs in your classroom:

• A Newcomer coming to your classroom from another country may not have the same basic mathematical knowledge you expect your students to have. Just as standards and objectives vary from state to state, they can vary even more from country to country. You cannot and should not expect a student to just join in where you are.
• Some countries use different symbols to signify basic operations. Because of this, the flow of the problem may look different to them when working a problem.

          

Symbol	What it is	How it is read	How it is used	Sample expression	Some countries where this symbol is used
+	Addition sign	... plus... ... add... The total of... and...	Sum of values	3 + 5 = 8	Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
-	Subtraction sign Minus sign	... subtract... ... take away... The difference between... and ... Negative...	Subtraction, taking one value away from another, difference between two values	3 - 5 = -2	Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
x	Multiplication sign	... multiplied by... ... groups of... ... times...	Product of two values	3 x 5 = 15	Poland and other countries
.	Multiplication sign	... multiplied by... ... groups of... ... times...	Product of two values	3 . 5 = 15	Argentina and other South American countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
÷	Division sign	... divided by... What is... shared between...? How many groups of... are there in...?	Division	3 ÷ 4 = 0.75	Demark
/	Slash	... divided by... What is... shared between...? How many groups of... are there in...? ... over...	Division	3 / 4 = 0.75	Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
:	Colon, ratio sign	... divided by... What is... shared between...? How many groups of... are there in...? ... to...	Division Ratio	3 : 4 = 0.75 2 : 4 = 20 : 40	Norway, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
,	Decimal sign	... point...	Separating whole numbers from decimal points	7,3 + 3,3 = 10,6	Europe: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries

     

• In some countries, they use commas where we use decimals, and decimals where we use commas. For example: In the US the number three thousand would be written 3,000 and in other countries, it is written 3.000.  In the US, the number three and two tenths would be written 3.2 in other countries it is written 3,2.

What does this mean for the math teacher with ELLs in their classroom?

    One of the best tips I can give teachers is to allow every student an opportunity to speak and ask questions in every lesson. We have schedules to keep and lessons to teach, however, we have to resist calling on only those students who eagerly raise their hands. We need to try to call on as many students as possible each day and expect an answer.  Don't let students "off the hook" if they don't have an answer. Tell them you will come back to them. Call on another student and if they give the correct answer have the first student repeat it. If you end up giving the correct answer, have all students repeat it. The use of think-pair-share strategies and cooperative group activities also allows each student to talk about the topic (Coggins, et. al., 2007, p. 11).

    Check out this video on Teaching Channel: Second Set Partner: A Turn and Talk Strategy

    Treat the vocabulary used in math class in the same manner you do in ELA and other courses. According to Coggins, et al (2007) we must first activate prior knowledge about the concept behind the vocabulary, then allow students to experience the concept, and finally discuss the concept using informal language. Once they have an understanding of the concept, the formal language can be taught. Coggins also suggests that we not teach keywords or phrases in word problems. Instead, focus attention on the actions and mathematical concepts within the word problem.

    Provide problem-solving opportunities. Problem-solving is more than following one or two-step directions, it is figuring out what to do when you don't know what to do. True problem-solving requires the students to seek help from classmates in addition to thinking critically. This benefits language and mathematical learning. For students with very limited language, providing sentence frames for discussion allows them an opportunity to share their knowledge and ideas.

    Provide students with the support (scaffolding) they need without reducing the complexity of the problem or telling them exactly how to solve it. Begin by activating a student's prior knowledge on a topic and relating it to something they know in the "real world". Scaffolds include visuals, tactile and auditory aids as well as cooperative groups and pair work. For example, a student may know what a penny is but not know the word. By working with a partner, the student can discuss, ask questions and practice the language while solidifying the concept with hands-on materials (Coggins, et. al., 2007).

    Using concrete objects can help the student focus on content and vocabulary at the same time. For example, using counters or blocks to show "hundreds" gives the idea meaning through visual and tactile experience. Allowing students to draw pictures to solve a problem can be equally effective if manipulatives are not available.

Coggins, D., Carroll, M., Coates, G. (2007). English Language Learners in the Mathematics Classroom. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.