Elementary Candidates' Application of Mathematics Academic Language in Language Objectives and Instructional Language Support

• In Event: Roundtable Session 22
  In Roundtable Session: Language Use and Mathematics Learning

Abstract

This study investigated elementary candidates’ understanding and planned support of academic language in mathematics lessons. The author analyzed mathematics lesson plans from course assignments across two semesters in the teacher preparation program, examining the candidates’ language objectives and written descriptions of the instructional language support that aligned with the objectives. Results showed that the candidates attained a robust understanding of mathematics academic language, writing language objectives that identified a wide variety of language functions and forms. In addition, the candidates most often planned instructional language support to explicitly teach the target language through modeling and language frames, communicate expectations for language use during learning activities, and provide opportunities for students to practice the target language.

Author

• Stephanie Capitolo Biagetti, California State University - Sacramento