Abstract

COETZER, Tanja; LIVINGSTON, Candice  and  BARNARD, Elna. Eleven Grade 1 teachers' understandings of mathematical language in a South African context. Reading & Writing [online]. 2023, vol.14, n.1, pp.1-11. ISSN 2308-1422.  https://doi.org/10.4102/rw.v14i1.409.

BACKGROUND: Fluency in mathematical language is essential for learning mathematics. Teachers must understand and use their diverse mathematical knowledge, including language and communication difficulties inherent to mathematics instruction. According to recent South African research, Grade 1 teachers are not equipped to utilise learners' linguistic skills for efficient learning of mathematics OBJECTIVES: This research investigates South African Grade 1 teachers' mathematical language perceptions, experiences, and feelings. These Grade 1 teachers' transcripts were analysed to discover their understanding of the language of mathematics METHOD: Exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research designs were used in conjunction with an adapted interactive qualitative analysis technique. Focus group interviews, individual interviews, and lesson observations, together with a purposive sampling technique, were used to gather the data from both public and private primary schools RESULTS: The results showed that Grade 1 teachers view mathematics as a separate language with its own vocabulary and register. The findings highlighted the need to simplify the language of mathematics to enhance understanding CONCLUSION: This research concluded that language is essential to mathematics learning and that mathematics has its own register, which is acquired like any other additional language. To help isiXhosa learners understand mathematics in English, scaffolding strategies must be aligned with their linguistic demands CONTRIBUTION: This article provides important recommendations for teachers who need to recognise the reality that English is the lingua franca and ensure isiXhosa home language-speaking learners receive the necessary support to acquire actual proficiency in the academic register of English for mathematical language learning

Keywords : English Grade 1 classrooms; Grade 1 teachers; isiXhosa home language-speaking learners; mathematical language learning; scaffolding strategies; South African context; understanding of mathematical language.

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