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Chapter
Using ASL to Navigate the Semantic Circuit in the Bilingual Mathematics Classroom
DOI link for Using ASL to Navigate the Semantic Circuit in the Bilingual Mathematics Classroom
Using ASL to Navigate the Semantic Circuit in the Bilingual Mathematics Classroom book
Using ASL to Navigate the Semantic Circuit in the Bilingual Mathematics Classroom
DOI link for Using ASL to Navigate the Semantic Circuit in the Bilingual Mathematics Classroom
Using ASL to Navigate the Semantic Circuit in the Bilingual Mathematics Classroom book
ABSTRACT
Mathematical meaning is represented through several systems, collectively called the “semantic circuit.” These systems include natural language, symbols or mathematics notation, and images or graphic models. Each system in the circuit allows for mathematics to be expressed in different ways and with different intent. Thus, mathematics is often referred to as being multi-semiotic. In the classroom, these systems pose the means by which teachers and students communicate about mathematics, with language being the fundamental process. The relationship between language and mathematics learning has been well-established across more than three decades of research. Yet, few studies have focused on a signed language and what it may afford learners. This chapter will explain the semantic circuit and explore how a language of Deaf people, specifically American Sign Language, with its unique properties (i.e., visual, spatial, manual) can be used as a resource to clarify meaning, promote problem-solving, and enhance overall conceptual understanding of mathematics. The chapter will conclude with directives for actively using ASL as a representation of mathematical meaning in the bilingual Deaf education mathematics classroom.