Math and language differences
English - Spanish Mathematics Language Comparisons
We don't need no more rappers don't need no more basketball players, no more football players. We need more thinkers. We need more scientists. We need more managers. We need more mathematicians. We need more teachers.
WE NEED MORE PEOPLE WHO CARE.
Tupac Shakur
Introduction
Early in my teaching career I had naive ideas about learning math as an English as second language learner in an English-speaking classroom. But then, I had a personal experience that made me realize how tricky it can be to learn math in an English-speaking class, when English isn't your first language. When a student approached me and asked if he could teach a lesson in Spanish. He wanted to show us that just learning the names of numbers and operations in English wasn't enough to succeed in English-speaking math classes.
I thought it was a really interesting idea, and it turned out to be very helpful to illustrate to me, and the other students, that language differences don't just mean translating number words and words for the mathematical operations. We also need to consider the differences in language syntax.
After this experience, I found this source: Is a good resource for starting to explore ideas to consider when teaching multilingual learners in mostly English-speaking classrooms.
Changing the Faces of Mathematics: Perspectives on Latino.
Editors: Walter G. Secada, Luis Ortiz_Franco, Norma G. Hernandez, Yolanda De La Cruz. Reston, VI.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (1999).
The following are a few examples of these difference.
Enjoy!
Everyday Language
In English: Rosa has seven peanuts.
In Spanish: Rose tiene siete cacahuates.
In English: Joshua has five peanuts.
In Spanish: Joshua tiene cinco.
| Mathematized - Situation Language: | Mathematized - Situation Language: |
|---|---|
| Rosa has more peanuts that Joshua. | Rosa tiene más cacahuates que Joshua. |
| How many more? | ¿Cuántos más? |
| Joshua has fewer peanuts that Rosa. | Joshua tiene menos cacahuates que Rosa. |
| How many fewer? | ¿Cuántos menos? |
| How many extra peanuts does Rosa have? | ¿Cuántos cacahuates más que Joshua tiene Rosa? |
| How many peanuts extra does Rosa have? |
|
| How many peanuts does Rosa have to eat to have a many as Joshua? | ¿Cuántos cacahuates tiene que comerse Rosa para tenor tantos como Joshua? |
| How many peanuts does Rosa have to eat to have the same number of peanuts that Joshua has? | ¿Cuántos cacahuates tiene que comerse Rosa para tener la misma cantidad que tiene Joshua? |
| How many peanuts does Joshua have to buy to have as many as Rosa? | ¿Cuántos cacahuates más tiene que comprar Joshua para tener tantos como Rosa? |
| How many peanuts does Joshua have to buy to have the same number of peanuts that Rosa has? | ¿Cuántos cacahuates más tiene que comprar Joshua para tener la misma cantidad que tiene Rosa? |
| How many more peanuts does Rosa have than Joshua? | |
| How many fewer peanuts does Joshua have that Rosa? |
| The Language of Mathematics Problem Solving: | The Language of Mathematics Problem Solving: |
|---|---|
| What is the difference between Joshua’s peanuts and Rosa’s? | ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre los cacahuates que tiene Joshua y los que tiene Rosa? |
| If we compare Joshua’s and Rosa’s peanuts, who has more? How many more? | Si comparamos los cacahuates de Rosa y los de Joshua, ¿quién tiene más?, ¿cuántos más? |
| How many more peanuts does Joshua need to catch up to Rosa? | ¿Cuántos cachuates necesita quitarle Joshua a Rosa para que los dos tengan la misma cantidad que tiene Rosa? |
