How have you been?
I have been very busy conducting a research on mathematics vocabulary effects on student’s performance in schools. I realized that mathematics being a new language, we need to first introduce its vocabulary then introduce the concept later to the students.
Why is that important?
Introducing a vocabulary for mathematics will make it simpler for students who perceive mathematics as being hard. When they read, first the concept becomes easier to comprehend. This will change their attitude towards mathematics.
Why is that important?
Most teachers do not think about teaching a vocabulary for mathematics thus mathematics is perceived as being a conceptual subject, thus concepts are taught in schools without any understanding of underlying definitions of the concepts and formulas. Indeed, students have a very bad impression on mathematics as being hard and uncomprehendable.
I really do not get it. Is it significant at all?
I believe that the importance of vocabulary in a math’s classroom is vital if a student is going to understand the concepts, they are being taught. If teachers taught a better background of math’s terminologies, they would see better results in their classrooms. A student and a teacher cannot be successful if the student does not understand what the teacher is saying, if a student is taught a concept without vocabulary he/she will not understand what the teacher is saying thus will not get good results.
How will you do that?
Because English vocabulary is used to learn math’s in my country without any proficiency in math’s vocabulary, I will use my country as the source of my study specimen.
How will you achieve your goal?
First, I will produce a report that makes vocabulary knowledge a part of every math’s lesson, teachers will know where in the curriculum to introduce vocabulary words. I will introduce additional support that will help non-English speaking students. Mathematics vocabulary will be introduced in the curriculum.