Math Word Problems within an ESL Classroom
Like a math teacher in Asia, I face exactly the same problem day after day. My students canrrrt do math word problems. They just do not understand them. And i’m not speaking about individuals 2, 3 students that will even correct their teacher, no I’m speaking about nearly all my students.
Word troubles are the center of my subject they provide intending to the figures and connect with our daily existence practices. 2 occasions 2 does not mean anything, but 2 apples of two dollars each does! Math and conceptualization walk hands in hands.
The majority of the teachers inside my school appear to become jealous beside me because teaching math should be very easy to teach within our ESL setting. Math is simple because it is all about the figures, and individuals are universal. True, however this response overlooks the representation, or perception, of figures. Math is about solving problems and needs academic studying skills.
Our school is really a humble school in Thailand and like many schools within this beautiful country the significance of British like a global language is recognized. Air schools, or British Programs, are mushrooming in most provinces. For considerable tuition charges, youthful Thais learn all subjects, except Thai obviously, in British. This sounds great when it comes to development and global thinking, but includes risks.
Thai students aren’t fluent in British. They really have poor British skills. Worldwide assessment studies demonstrate weak British skills, which isn’t a real surprise. The Thai language doesn’t have resemblance with British and outdoors school, and also at home, only Thai is spoken.
Just how can students in Thailand learn school subjects like social studies, science and math in British without missing the purpose? This is actually the billion dollar question. Just how can teachers, school managers and fogeys expect these children to understand concepts once the delivery of knowledge isn’t understood?
Word troubles are regarded as difficult by students. It takes students to see and evaluate problems so as to generate the required methodology. An incredible illustration of this type of problem, is really a question from my 4th grade math book:
“The doorway fee of the trade exhibition is $12.40. On Monday 250 people visited the exhibition as well as on Tuesday 200 people greater than on Monday visited the trade exhibition. How much cash was collected in entrance charges on days?”
As understandable, a lot of the students will have a problem with this issue. In past statistics, 3 steps are participating: addition, again addition and multiplication. Difficult for any 4th grader, however the greatest challenge isn’t the mathematical operations, no it is the language used. Just how can any youthful learner connect with trade exhibitions? And the number of native British students can really spell the term exhibition properly? Imagine Thai students and also the difficulty for teachers to describe this issue. A lot time is going to be wasted on explaining words like trade, exhibition and visitors.
So exactly how should we teach these complaints to ESL students from Thailand, or anywhere for instance? First, discard your book! Any book with problems such as the one above aren’t suited to youthful learners and by no means for ESL students. Second: rewrite your material. Use simpler language, speak with the British teachers and employ the vocabulary trained within their training.
Exactly the same problem as above could be re-written the following:
“The cost of just one ice-cream is $2.40. A store offered 250 ice-creams on Monday. On Tuesday the store offered 200 ice-creams greater than on Monday. How much cash did the store earn on days?”
Using these words the issues has turned into a math problem again and many students will comprehend the concept of it. If they’d like to solve it or otherwise, now turns into a mathematical issue and never certainly one of (non-existent) academic studying skills.
Teaching word problems to non-native British students is really a challenge, although not impossible. You will find may websites available with great sources. Don’t give up your students. When math is just about figures, it’ll never make any meaning!
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