Let me focus on fraction:
- what have we known:
# the internet has a potential to enhance maths learning due to .... (Ref)
# the responses of students in using the Internet in maths learning were positive such as fun (Ref), interactive (Ref) .....
For those case, the language of websites was the same as learners' language. The exploration on how non-native English learners benefited from the availability of English maths websites has not been the focus of the study.
This paper is going to present a case from Indonesian context where teachers and learners in "RSBI school" were advocated by the new policy to learn maths in English where English was not their first or second language. In this situation, the researchers worked together with teachers to design fraction lesson using the Internet. There were 12 students selected to join the maths teaching experiments by teachers. They were Grade 7 students who were struggled with fraction based on the diagnostic test and the justification of maths classroom teachers. These learners actually have learned fraction since Grade 4 - 6 but in Indonesian language. By involving these learners into teaching using math english website, we expected that this would help them with the math english vocab as well as helping them in understanding the maths ideas.
Despite the positive responses of teachers to this learning using websites and new experiences for them as well as the positive responses of learners and engagement physically, we need to analyse these phenomena. Several critical issues were emerged in the teaching experiments. First, by observing the pizza representation of a/b and b/c, a,b,c,d are consecutive whole number, some learners conclude the 5/6 and 6/7 are the same. The observed what displayed on the screen were similar, and they certainly could not verify their conclusion because it was pictures on the screen.
Here the affordances of the websites that it could represents the fraction easily and quickly compared if we have to cut a circle model. However, in comparing, some critical problem could happened.
Another issue to discuss is the language factors. Students stated that the language used in the selected websites were easier than in their textbook. The visualisation, and the colors made it special for them.
However, the math talk seemed were not optimal, because their limited English. To help the learners, the teachers then spoke English followed by Indonesian translation and this became lack of flaw.
This study was just a new experiences for teachers and learners. If they must learn maths using English while they were still learning English, this seems another solution to open access to math learning for students. In fact, teachers themselves found websites became a good learning tool for themselves, learning maths and English at the same time. Maths teachers admitted that they were not confident in teaching maths with English, and other resources are limited, Then this Internet is another promise as a solution in this context.
The maths language is actually different from daily language, means that we may understand some aspect of maths ideas without having adequate English. (This is particularly for teachers who have learn/teach math).
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