Spanish, Mathematics, and English: The Languages of Success in a Grade 8 Class

The English Language Learners in this eighth-grade, “standard”-level mathematics class used talk, reading, and writing in the languages of English, mathematics, and Spanish to succeed. Their mathematics workshop was open three days a week, and almost the entire 90 minutes of their block was devoted to work time, during which the teacher constantly conferred with the students. Overall, the mathematical procedures were problematic for these students. They needed translation of vocabulary, of course, but their need to understand English within mathematics posed a specific challenge because common English words became problematic in mathematics contexts. At year’s end, all passed their state test.