The language of Maths is often considered a language of its own, and this can sometimes be a difficulty for EAL students when they are learning English. NALDIC explain that if EAL learners are not supported to develop mathematical English, they are less likely to be able to fully-participate in the lesson, which could lead to them not being able to make sufficient progress in the subject. In addition to this, while some consider maths to be a global language, whereby EAL learners will experience little difficulty, it is important to remember that some languages have alternative number scripts with which EAL learners may be more familiar with. Pim (2010) also explains that some countries use mathematical symbols in a different way - for example, a multiplication symbol can look like a decimal point between two numbers, so 2.6 means 2x6. When writing about currency some countries use a comma instead of a full-stop to mark the pennies.
Particularly within the secondary setting, mathematical word problems often present EAL learners with some difficulties. Mertin (2014) gives examples of typical mathematical word problems that EAL learners encounter. These are:
Mertin (2014) goes on to explain that often these types of word problems, include low frequency words such as "provided, construct, visual representation" as well as sentence structures such as the one above "whichever way you feel is the fairest" are confusing. When considering writing word problems it would be better to use the command verbs, which can be found in many other subject areas, such as explain, calculate and write. In addition to this, it would be useful to provide EAL students with a model answer, to see what is expected of them, or some sentence starters to help them answer the question.
For both younger and older students it would also be beneficial to have visuals displayed around the classroom, so the students can understand the mathematical language and become more familiar with it. In addition to this, they can translate the terms into their mother-tongue. These visual cues will help reinforce the language for the learner.
The classroom is a rich environment for learners to have exposure to lots of language. Scott (2012) suggests that teachers should consider the language structures which can be taught within the subject area. For example, if you are teaching the topic of measurements, you would firstly need to make a list of the measurement vocabulary and you can use this as an opportunity to reinforce number learning. You can also bring into the lesson some grammatical links to help the students understand, for example you could provide them with a table as seen below:
| Noun | Adjective | Question |
|---|---|---|
| height | high | How high...? |
| length | long | How long...? |
| width | wide | How wide...? |
Taken From: Oxford Basics, Cross Curricular Activities, Hana Svecova
In addition to this, you can also provide students with a table to support them with scaffolding their answers, for example:
| How | long | is it in | metres? | It's ..... metres | long |
| wide | feet and inches? | It's ..... foot/feet ..... inches | wide | ||
| high | high |
Taken From: Oxford Basics, Cross Curricular Activities, Hana Svecova
These are just some examples of how EAL learners can be supported with mathematical vocabulary and word problems. Below is a list of some other methods that may be useful when working with EAL learners:
References:
Mertin, Patricia. Breaking through the Language Barrier. N.p.: John Catt Educational, 2013. Print.
Naldic. "Mathematics and EAL." NALDIC | EAL Resources | Mathematics and EAL. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2016.
Pim, Chris. How to Support Children Learning English as an Additional Language. Cambridge: LDA, 2010. Print.
Scott, Caroline. Teaching English as an Additional Language, 5-11: A Whole School Resource File. London: Routledge, 2012. Print
Svecova H (2004) Cross-curricular Activities (Oxford Basics) OUP Oxford
Holidays and homework seem incongruous especially for the EAL students who need to concentrate extra hard in order to understand curriculum content. It is therefore crucial that the homework is fun and rewarding, workbooks and worksheets, although pleasing to parents, may be off putting for students who may start with good intentions but then put off doing them. Generating enthusiasm and motivation are the key factors.
Keeping a diary/scrap book
Everyone is talking about differentiation for EAL in whole class teaching, but how do we actually approach it consistently and effectively?
At Across Cultures we have been developing some systematic ways of approaching this in a structured, yet flexible format. In the downloadable plan you'll see a framework to support EAL teachers with planning for content learning alongside language learning. The plan is based about the theme of sea pollution and provides a writing frame for a persuasive text.
This lesson follow a particular format:
I have taught ESOL (English for speakers of other languages who live in an English-speaking environment) for over 15 years. Many of my students have recently moved to England. Their reasons for learning English have varied greatly; from learning it out of necessity to learning it just for fun. Likewise, their learning backgrounds have been vastly different. Some students have had very little or recent education, while others have had higher education.
