Spoken Mathematics as an Instructional Strategy: The Public Discourse of Mathematics Classrooms in Different Countries

• Published in: Student Voice in Mathematics Classrooms Around the World Vol. 4; pp. 13 - 31
• Main Authors: Clarke, David, Xu, Li Hua, Wan, May Ee Vivien
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: The Netherlands BRILL 2013; SensePublishers
• Series: Learner’s Perspective Study
• Subjects: Class activities; Classroom communication; Classroom Practice; Coding; Discussion; Instructional Strategy; Language; Learner's Perspective Study (LPS); Mathematical concepts; Mathematical Term; Mathematical vocabulary; Mathematics Classroom; Mathematics Education; Mathematics teaching; Secondary education; Speech communication; Student teacher relationship; Studiocode (Computer software); Teaching methods; Year 8; South Korea; Singapore; Hong Kong; Asia; United States; Victoria; China; Australia; Germany; Melbourne (Vic)
• ISBN: 9462093482; 9789462093485; 9789462093492; 9462093490
• DOI: 10.1007/978-94-6209-350-8_2

This chapter examines the use of spoken mathematics in the public discourse of eighth-grade mathematics classrooms internationally. By 'spoken mathematics' the authors mean the recognisably mathematical terms used in spoken interaction in the classroom. Their principal focus was the relatively sophisticated terms by which each lesson's central concepts or procedures were named. In their analysis they addressed the question(s): 'What is the occurrence of publicly spoken mathematics in the different classrooms studied and what efforts do the teachers appear to make to promote students' use of technical mathematical terms in their public classroom talk?' A companion chapter examines the question of students' private spoken mathematics in the classroom and the possible learning that might result. [Author abstract]