Multilingualism in Mathematics Education in Africa - (Multilingualisms and Diversities in Education) by Anthony A Essien

Book Synopsis

This book brings together the first book collection of African research in mathematics education in multilingual societies andchronicles current research in different linguistic contexts across the African continent, (including Algeria, Namibia, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa) on issues of multilingualism in mathematics education, but more importantly, it foregrounds pertinent issues for future research.With many of the authors building on earlier path-breaking African research, the book is a unique contribution of careful thinking through how linguistic diversity and multilingualism manifest in ways that differ from one geopolitical context to another. This volume is an important contribution to the growing recognition of multilingualism as the global 'linguistic dispensation' in mathematics education. It is an invitation to how we might (as an international community where more and more multilingualism is the norm rather than an exception) pay more attention to the multilingual agency and capabilities of both students and teachers in order to better harness the epistemic potential of multiple languages in contexts of language diversity in mathematics education.

Review Quotes

This book brings together works by researchers from multiple countries in Africa who share a common interest in understanding mathematics education in multilingual settings. Each chapter provides insights into particular research studies, policies, or interventions within one national or regional context. Taken as a whole, the text provides a valuable overview on the issue of language(s) and teaching mathematics in Africa. I hope this book sparks additional research and publications from mathematics educators in Africa who have valuable insights about the phenomenon of language(s) in mathematics to share with the global mathematics education research community.

About the Author

Anthony A. Essien is Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.