Teaching mathematics in multilingual classrooms

In this paper we present the way in which language issues have become a relevant factor in research which aims to study the socio-cultural aspects of mathematics education in classrooms with a high percentage of immigrant students. Our research on language issues focuses on two aspects, namely the language as a social tool within the mathematics classroom and the language as a vehicle in the construction of mathematical knowledge. We introduce our problem within this area and provide a rationale for our research methodology, not avoiding its drawbacks, but rather giving examples of the kinds of difficulties we encountered. The paper highlights the integrated nature of the social, cultural and linguistic aspects of mathematics teaching and learning, and illustrates the fact that, even if the mathematical language can be considered universal, the language of 'doing mathematics within the classroom' is far from being universal. © 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers.