Speaking Mathematically: The Role of Language and Communication in Teaching and Learning of Mathematics

Introduction

Language of instruction is very crucial to effective education at every level because it serves as a vital key to it. According to Bandele (1995), language is one of the factors that define culture and it occupies a very important position in the curriculum of any school system. Obemeata (1999) said that the low proficiency of many Nigerian children in English language tends to mask their intelligence, this is because when Nigerian children are confronted with word problems in mathematics, they are usually handicapped by language difficulty. This implies that linguistic difficulties have serious effects on children's ability to think, read and write effectively.

Linguistic difficulties also accounts for the observed slowness in students’ mathematics performance. According to O’Halloran (1999), the child’s creativity is enhanced if he comes to meet an already familiar language at school, on the contrary, the child’s spirit of innovation may be inhibited if he (she) is confronted with an unfamiliar language at school. In support, Halliday (1978) said that once a child does not get the language register for a particular concept; subject; or course, such a child cannot perform well in that subject area. According to him, register is a set of meanings appropriate to a particular function of language, together with the words and structures which expresses these meanings. He therefore concluded that mathematics register is that register that belongs to the language of mathematics. Thus, learning the language of a new discipline is part of learning the new discipline; in fact, language and learning cannot be separated.

In solving mathematical problems, it is not enough to work with language alone because mathematics draws on multiple semiotic (meaning creating) system to construct knowledge. This semiotics includes symbols, oral speech, written words, and visual representations such as graphs and diagrams. In addition, Mathematics uses features such as order, position, relative, size and orientation in meaningful ways (Pimm, 1987). Consequently, Mathematics construct are often difficult to articulate in ordinary language because its symbolism has developed over time to express meanings that go beyond what ordinary language expresses. This assertion was supported by O’Halloran (1999), who said that mathematics symbolism can be used to describe relationships that represent information presented in ways that natural language cannot. While language provides the contextual information about the situation, the mathematics symbolism describes the pattern of relationships between the entities. Thus, the written language and oral language could work together to construct meaning as the teacher and students interact in discussing Mathematical problem.

According to Lemke (2003), Language; mathematical registers; visual diagrams, as well as the gestures and actions of the participants in the classroom are to be used as components of a single semiotic system if better performances of African children are to be expected in tests of intellectual ability. He pointed out that learning mathematics is not just a question of manipulating symbols, but also of understanding how different systems form meaning and interact among themselves. He concluded that opportunity for gaining mathematical understanding is lost if mathematics is not taught, particularly at the introductory level as co-equal partner with language and visual representation in the analysis of natural and social phenomena.