You Can Be Good at Math and Still Struggle With the Problem in French
A student sees: 3x + 5 = 20 and solves it immediately. Then the student sees a mathematical problem in French. The mathematics may be no more difficult. The numbers may be familiar. The required operation may be something the student has performed hundreds of times. And yet the problem suddenly feels harder. Why? A common explanation is: “My French isn't good enough.” Sometimes that is true. But it does not tell us exactly what has happened. The student may still understand the mathematics perfectly well. What has changed is the route through which the mathematical structure must be found. A mathematical problem can become harder to access without becoming mathematically harder. That distinction is extremely important when studying mathematics in another language. An Equation Gives You More Than Words Consider a simple equation: 3x + 5 = 20 A student who understands elementary algebra immediately sees relationships. There is an unknown. It is multiplied by three. Five is added. The...