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Language and communication in mathematics education: an overview of research in the field

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Abstract

Within the field of mathematics education, the central role language plays in the learning, teaching, and doing of mathematics is increasingly recognised, but there is not agreement about what this role (or these roles) might be or even about what the term ‘language’ itself encompasses. In this issue of ZDM, we have compiled a collection of scholarship on language in mathematics education research, representing a range of approaches to the topic. In this survey paper, we outline a categorisation of ways of conceiving of language and its relevance to mathematics education, the theoretical resources drawn upon to systematise these conceptions, and the methodological approaches employed by researchers. We identify four broad areas of concern in mathematics education that are addressed by language-oriented research: analysis of the development of students’ mathematical knowledge; understanding the shaping of mathematical activity; understanding processes of teaching and learning in relation to other social interactions; and multilingual contexts. A further area of concern that has not yet received substantial attention within mathematics education research is the development of the linguistic competencies and knowledge required for participation in mathematical practices. We also discuss methodological issues raised by the dominance of English within the international research community and suggest some implications for researchers, editors and publishers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Curriculum Pedagogy and Assessment, Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL, UK

    Candia Morgan

  2. University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    Tracy Craig

  3. Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany

    Marcus Schuette

  4. University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada

    David Wagner

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  1. Candia Morgan
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  2. Tracy Craig
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  4. David Wagner
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Correspondence to Candia Morgan.

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Morgan, C., Craig, T., Schuette, M. et al. Language and communication in mathematics education: an overview of research in the field. ZDM Mathematics Education 46, 843–853 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-014-0624-9

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