Summary
The paper
discussed a teaching dilemma in the Malaysia Chinese primary schools after a
new language policy launched in 2003 that using English as the language of
instruction of mathematics in all schools. Due to the complex sociocultural and
linguistic condition, teachers spent considerable amount of time translating and
code-switching mathematical terminology between English and Mandarin frequently,
especially in the low-performance classes. The
paper suggested to test the efficacy of bilingual versus monolingual teaching
of mathematics in a Malaysian context.
Stop 1: a national move of
switching instructional language
Initially,
the language medium of instruction of mathematics was Malay between the diverse
ethnic groups. With the concerns of decline of English language proficiency and
for the purpose national development, Malaysian government took a brave move of
switching instructional language from Malay to English. Although receiving strong
oppositions from Chinese communities, Chinese students ended up taken two subjects:
Mathematics in English and Mathematics in Mandarin. I understand the starting point
was to conserve language and culture, but would extending learning hours become
an advantage or a burden on students and teachers? And the learning outcome are
necessary optimized?
Question 1:
Do you
think language shape people’s angle of perception in acquiring knowledge,
especially in the STEM subjects?
Stop 2: code-switching in
multi-lingual classroom
Growing up
in a Mandarin-speaking family, and moving to Canada at 16 to English-speaking environment.
I have experienced similar code-switching period, as to translate all the
information around into English, in daily activities and in reading textbooks.
I felt I picked up piece-wise information, and consistently added new
mathematics registers, replaced unfamiliar notions with other familiar words
etc. In a word, the learning journey looks like unfold and wipe up the ambiguity
into clear vision. Standing from students’ point of view, I wished I could have
such a linguistic practitioner as instructor when faced with new culture.
Question 2:
Do you
think inter-changing languages during everyday instruction is helpful for ESL and
multi-lingual students, for their math thinking and reasoning? Or would you
stick to one language to deepen mathematics perception?
Stop 3: language habit observed from the feedbacks from
teachers and students
(Lim and Presmeg, 2010)
From the
interviews, their daily and formal conversation are also a mixed dialogue between
English and Mandarin for teachers and students from Malaysian Chinese primary
school. I was amazed that they naturally opted for the more accurate and
efficient word and jumped between expression in the two languages and fit in with
ongoing grammar in their dialogue. I guess it’s the environment they lived in shaped
them reciprocally and thus reflected in their teaching.
Question 3：
Are you familiar with any other counties/cities which has similar multi-lingual language society and learning environment? Do you think students have their own right to choose what language they want to learn with?
Reference:
Lim, C., & Presmeg, N.
(2010). TEACHING MATHEMATICS IN TWO LANGUAGES: A TEACHING DILEMMA OF MALAYSIAN
CHINESE PRIMARY SCHOOLS. International Journal Of
Science And Mathematics Education, 9(1),
137-161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-010-9225-4
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Interesting read, Joy! When I think about effecting change in the math classroom, my first thought is on building understanding and second, connecting understanding to the conventional register of mathematics. If I were so fortunate to be able to speak two languages fluently, I would definitely use both if it meant reaching my students and helping them build a solid, conceptual understanding. I am also reminded of the Halliday article which discussed how understanding is developed through dialogue and inducting students into the world of mathematics means allowing them to participate confidently and meaningfully in math conversations, regardless of the language.
回复删除Thanks for your summary, stops and questions Joy and sharing about your own experiences as an English language learner (it was really valuable for me)! As per your questions:
回复删除1) Great question! I'm sure language does shape our perspectives and learning, however, as a monolingual person I'm ill equipped to even guess at how! I'd be curious as to how the students identified differences when learning math in English versus Mandarin! Even the everyday language we use to describe math concepts is deeply connected to culture....thus the importance, I think, of allowing students to create their own analogies, metaphors or choice of everyday language that makes sense to them within their own lived experiences.
2) From what I've read in the literature I support students code-switching and using whatever language is most comfortable while they are grappling with the concepts and coming to an understanding of why it works. I think using more formal math language in the language of teaching is easier when explaining procedures but much more complex when it comes to conceptual understanding. I'm entirely sure if speaking in only one language (especially if it's NOT their main language) would deepen math perception but I'm also not entirely sure what you mean by math perception.
3) The article I read might be similar and is situated in South Africa. Many of the students spoke several languages but the language of learning and teaching is English. It was interesting to read when code-switching was a common strategy and when it wasn't. Essentially, when students and their teacher share a common main language code-switching happened more often. I know many french immersion teachers also use this technique in math class as they find many students need to discuss/conceptualize the math in English first, before moving into French.