ABSTRACT
In mathematics in the primary school, language is central to effective teaching and learning. It is particularly important that you and your pupils have a shared understanding of the language you use in mathematics and how this may vary from use of the same words or phrases in other contexts – both in the curriculum and outside of school. An additional complication is that, as well as words, the mathematical language ‘uses symbols to represent numbers and number operations (such as the word “nine” to represent this quantity or the written sign “+” to represent combining quantities)’. (Manches, 2006, p18) Turner and McCullough (2004, pp2-3) suggest that resultant ambiguity can be identified in the following ways:
1. Meaning that differs according to whether the word is used as a noun or a verb. For example: the word note can mean an instruction [verb], a form of currency [noun] and a musical symbol [noun].
