The use of English to teach mathematics in primary school, as advocated by the National Minimum Curriculum, may be putting weaker pupils at a disadvantage, according to a researcher from the University of Malta.

The weaker pupils may find mathematics lessons harder to follow in a second language and immersing them in English in the hope they will "pick it up" may be hindering participation and understanding, Marie T. Farrugia told the early childhood education conference.

The NMC recommends that at the primary level, mathematics, science and technology be taught in English. When doing so poses difficulties, the teacher can alternate between English and Maltese, but otherwise the curriculum advocates "consistency in the use of language during the teaching-learning process".

It also speaks in favour of inclusion, saying that all students should be provided "with the best possible educational experiences, irrespective of their social realities and abilities...

An inclusive education is based on a commitment...to fully acknowledge individual difference".

Ms Farrugia sees that a conflict may exist between these two principles. Interviewing pupils for a Ph.D. research project, she found that the 'weak' ones stated that they sometimes did not understand English during the lesson or felt that they would understand more if the lessons were in Maltese.

One of the perceived problems in local mathematics classrooms, she said, is the difficulty that some pupils have in understanding the written English texts, due to their level of English.

"Thus, one 'difference' present in the classroom may be the pupils' knowledge of English due to different degrees of exposure and support outside the school. Indeed, I believe that one of the NMC's intentions is to close this gap by providing all pupils with a powerful language tool.

"However, I feel that this difference is best addressed by focusing explicitly on mathematical language rather than by immersing the pupils in English throughout the lesson in the hope that they will 'pick it up' and, hopefully, understand written texts."

She suggests that rather than changing the spoken mode (which tends to utilise both Maltese and English) to match the written (English only), "we need to find effective ways to link the two".

Her idea is for pupils to learn how to express mathematical ideas in their first language, Maltese, "not only because it enhances the language itself, but also because pupils are bound to need such expression when coming across mathematical situations in their everyday lives".

Developing a "Maltese register" for mathematics would also be an opportunity to further develop the Maltese language, she argues. This would entail discussion on what is 'acceptable'. For example, would the word qasam or ixxerja be the translation of share? (The latter, after all, is listed in Aquilina's dictionary).

"Communities need to decide what sounds 'right' in newly developing registers, and this begs discussion between local mathematics educators and linguists alike.

"I suggest that the national move towards using English as a medium of instruction for mathematics reduces the need for such discussion to take place at all."

Ms Farrugia sees 'tensions' between the NMC's recommendation regarding consistent use of English in mathematics classrooms and other NMC principles. In the school she studied, for example, pupils used Maltese when interacting during group work.

"If the use of Maltese for group discussion is allowed, then I think that this undermines the apparent NMC objective for pupils to use English productively. Thus, a 'tension' is created between the language policy and its implementation.

"On the other hand, insisting on English for group-work situations may have negative consequences on the pupils' contributions and this may create a tension between the language recommendations and another of the NMC's principles: that of developing thinking through cooperation."

Young pupils, she said, might communicate mathematical ideas more effectively in their first language than in their second. "Indeed, the teacher herself may feel reluctant to set activities that require the use of a lot of talk because of this anticipated difficulty."

She also said that learning mathematics though English may encourage a detachment between school mathematics and 'home' mathematics. This creates another 'tension', this time with the NMC principle that says that "students consider the learning process to be relevant when they establish a link between schoolwork and their personal experiences".

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