Revisiting the Register and the Repertoire: Conceptualizing a Mathematics Discourse Rooted in Black Language

• In Event: Examining the Intersectionalities of Mathematics and Languages

Abstract

Beyond defining a broader understanding of Black Language and its features, our purpose is also to analyze what constitutes mathematics discourse within a group of Black students, and what is consistent about the atmosphere in which we hear this language most consistently. One of the findings to be gleaned from this data is that Black students incorporate a wide range of features of BL into discussions about mathematical problems (semantics, oral features like call and response, and communicative patterns like prosody and coolness). We discuss how the problem context (ones that did not feel like “traditional” mathematics problems) and community norms (theirs and the facilitator’s identifying as BL users) made it a space reflective and welcome for the diverse linguistic resources.

Authors

• Nickolaus A. Ortiz, Georgia State University

• Guilherme Ribeiro, Georgia State University