Is mathematics a universal language? by Tim Whiteford

This article dives into the realities of teaching in a diverse setting. The challenge is more than just communication but rather truly understanding the student’s prior knowledge regarding mathematics. Some students enter the classroom with a strong mathematics foundation; however, there are significant differences in the way that math is taught in other countries. Teachers struggle with the conceptual differences in the way math is taught and understood. Yet, other students may have virtually no prior knowledge of math at all. There are times when students have essentially the same mathematics background but have learned different procedural ways to solve problems. Whitford offers a wonderful example, Molita from Bosnia struggles because she has been taught the equal addition method of subtraction rather than the traditional American decomposition method, taught in schools today. I can strongly connect with Molita as when I was a child I was home-schooled by my mother who taught me the equal addition method. When I attended fourth grade my math teacher publically called me out on my work and penalized me on assignments because I did not know the “correct” way to subtract. Looking back on the experience, I can recall how embarrassed and defeated I felt. I never want my students to feel that way and I want to make myself aware of the cultural differences and sensitivities that children may have. As teachers we must learn about the various procedural methods in order to make ourselves aware of the multitude of ways that mathematics can be taught. I think that one of the key ways that these differences will be understood is by talking about mathematics and engaging our students in conversation.
The next hurdle in teaching mathematics to a highly diverse student body is the difference in the way that people think about mathematics. Teachers fail to realize how important the way they speak is. Subtle variations in the way we word questions can have a profound impact on how a student perceives the question. Students who have limited English proficiency can be perceived on having very poor math skills simply because they lack the ability to communicate their ideas. Teachers must seek out the proper support, be it an interpreter or an aid, in order to understand the students meaning. Teachers must also be sensitive to the challenges that the English language pose to an ELL student. Even the number system can be challenging to a student who isn’t fluent in English. Students may also struggle to understand the units of measurement, which vary considerably from culture to culture.


In conclusion, teachers have to invest the time to understand a student’s background, their prior knowledge and their comfort level with the English language, the thinking process, the units of measurement and the method of instruction. The bottom line is that teachers have to believe that all students can learn mathematics. They have to understand what support a student will require in order to understand the material. Furthermore, teachers should embrace the opportunity to learn about the cultural variation in how mathematics is taught and understood.


Whiteford, T. (2010). Is mathematics a universal language? Teaching children mathematics 16(5), 276-283.