Physical Mathematics

Bilingual Education and Mathematic Learning in Early Years

Abstract

Bermejo Vicente*, Pilar Ester and Isabel Morales

In the present article, we analyze the characteristics of bilingual education related to learning mathematics in the early years. When language immersion is implemented while teaching a specific subject such as mathematics, we differentiate between the students’ language of instruction and the student’s mother tongue. This article delves into the verbal aspect of mathematics and how the language of instruction influences tasks in which the verbal component is essential, such as problem solving. The results shown in the present investigation compares the influence of the language of instruction in 1st and 2nd grade students whose language of instruction coincides with their mother tongue compared to those groups whose language is not coincident. The results show a greater effectiveness in the task executed by the students whose language of instruction coincides with the mother tongue. However, we also observe how this distance tends to be shortened in 2nd grade groups.