Succeeding in mathematics (maths) depends greatly on how well you speak the language of maths. Imagine that you are presented with a test in a natural language you don’t speak. Or you may speak just enough of it to have everyday conversations, but not to understand or talk about specialised subjects. That is how most children start out learning maths, and their situation may be further complicated if the language they are expected to do maths in is not their home language.
The new Oxford Illustrated Bilingual Maths Dictionary, available in English-IsiZulu and English-Setswana, recognises the need for EAL learners in the intermediate and senior phase to build maths vocabulary in order to grasp mathematical concepts, this dictionary was specially adapted from the UK best seller for the South African classroom.
Starting from the basics such as shapes and symbols and introducing increasingly complex terms with the same simplicity and clarity, the dictionary effectively uses full colour, illustrations, word forms, related words and cross references to foster a deep understanding of maths principles in young learners.
Included in the 1 000 words and phrases are not only words from the curriculum and detailed support learners in understanding their textbooks and interpreting test and exam questions.
The dictionary’s usefulness for South African learners is extended by including a trilingual word list that offers a translation of the English headwords in two languages other than the main South African language, e.g. Sesotho and Sepedi in the English-Setswana dictionary, and Afrikaans and isiXhosa in the English-isiZulu dictionary.
View our dictionaries below:
#Bilingualism #OxfordDictionaries #ilovemaths #IsiZulu #IsiXhosa
