Cross-Language Differences in Fraction Understanding

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring Cognitive Processes in Mathematics

Abstract

Languages name fractions differently, and this may cause their speakers to understand them differently. In English, the numerator is named before the denominator (e.g., 3/7 is “three sevenths”), whereas in Korean, the opposite is true (e.g., “chil(7) bun ul sam(3)”). Prior research has investigated whether English-speaking children’s fraction understanding improves when taught the Korean naming convention. Here, we investigate the cognitive consequences of this cross-language difference, predicting that adult English and Korean speakers prioritize the fraction component their language names first. To test this prediction, participants completed novel fraction span and fraction identification tasks. As predicted, English speakers prioritized numerators and Korean speakers denominators (on some tasks). The implications of these results for improving conceptual understanding of fractions are discussed.

Authors

• Jimin Park, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Soo-hyun Im, Hanyang University

• Sashank Varma, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities