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Language and mathematical problem solving among bilinguals.

Allan B I Bernardo1

  • 1College of Education, De La Salle University-Manila, Philippines. claabb@mail.dlsu.edu.ph

The Journal of Psychology
|September 11, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Bilingual students demonstrated better understanding and problem-solving skills in mathematics when using their native language. This first-language advantage was more pronounced for simpler arithmetic word problems.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Bilingualism Studies
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Bilingualism impacts cognitive processes, including language processing and problem-solving.
  • The domain-specificity of bilingual advantages is an area of ongoing research.
  • School mathematics word problems present a semantically rich domain for studying bilingual cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether Filipino-English bilingual students exhibit differences in understanding and solving arithmetic word problems based on their first or second language.
  • To determine if the language of instruction affects problem-solving accuracy and comprehension in bilingual learners.

Main Methods:

  • A recall paradigm was employed to assess students' comprehension of word problems.
  • Solution accuracy was coded to evaluate problem-solving performance.
  • Participants were divided into two groups based on their first language (Filipino or English).
  • Both easy and difficult arithmetic word problems were utilized.

Main Results:

  • A significant first-language advantage was observed in both understanding and solving arithmetic word problems.
  • Students performed better when problems were presented in their native language, regardless of whether it was Filipino or English.
  • This first-language advantage was more pronounced for easier arithmetic problems compared to difficult ones.

Conclusions:

  • Using a student's first language can enhance their performance in semantically rich academic domains like mathematics.
  • Educational strategies should consider the linguistic background of bilingual students to optimize learning outcomes.
  • The findings contribute to understanding the cognitive benefits of bilingualism in academic contexts.

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