Pathways to learning mathematics for students in French-immersion and English-instruction programs.

Abstract

Canadian students enrolled in either French-immersion or English-instruction programs were followed from Grades 2 to 3 (M age = 7.8 years to 8.9 years; N = 244; 55% girls). In each grade, students completed two mathematical tasks that required oral language processing (i.e., word-problem solving and number transcoding from dictation) and two that did not (i.e., arithmetic fluency and number line estimation). Students in both English-instruction (n = 92) and French-immersion programs (n = 152) completed tasks in English. Students in French-immersion programs also completed word-problem solving and transcoding tasks in French. The models were framed within the Pathways to Mathematics model, with a focus on the linguistic pathways for students in English-instruction and French-immersion programs. For tasks with oral language processing, performance in Grade 3 was predicted by students' English receptive vocabulary for both English-instruction and French-immersion students, even when French-immersion students were tested in French, controlling for performance in Grade 2. In contrast, for tasks without oral language processing, receptive vocabulary in either English or French did not predict performance in Grade 3, controlling for performance in Grade 2. These results have implications for teaching mathematics within the context of immersion education. Educational Impact and Implications StatementEnglish-speaking Canadian students (Grades 2 and 3) who attended either English-instruction or French-immersion programs had similar mathematics performance, suggesting that learning mathematics in a second language does not impede students' mathematical achievement. Regardless of the language of instruction, students' proficiency in English, not French, was the dominant predictor of their progress in mathematical tasks that involved oral language processing.

Effects of summer numeracy interventions among French-language students in Ontario.

“…Two recent Canadian studies on relations between language abilities and math achievement lend support to this idea. Xu, Di Lonardo Burr, et al (2022) hypothesized that facility in the language of instruction could be an important factor in students’ math development. Their Manitoba study found that native English speakers in French immersion programs tended to rely on their English-language vocabulary when performing math tasks that required oral language processing, even when their tests were conducted in French.…”

Forty years of research on mathematical cognition: Summing it up.

“…We also initiated a project on language and mathematics (called the LLAMA project for “language learning and math achievement”) that included colleagues in Northern Ireland (Victoria Simms and Judith Wylie) as well as collaborators from three provinces in Canada (Erin Maloney, Helena Osana, and Sheri-Lynn Skwarchuk). This project was expertly shepherded by Chang Xu, Anne Lafay, and Sabrina Burr (Xu, Di Lonardo Burr, et al, 2022, 2023; Xu, Lafay, et al, 2022). We also snuck in some home numeracy work (Skwarchuk et al, 2022).…”

“…We also snuck in some home numeracy work (Skwarchuk et al, 2022). This research on language and mathematics has shown that, although math problem solving is harder for second language learners, it is the language that causes difficulties, not the math (Xu, Di Lonardo Burr, et al, 2022; Xu, Lafay, et al, 2022).…”