Attending to others’ mathematical ideas: a semiotic alternative to logocentrism in bilingual classrooms

Abstract

Educational research tends to overemphasize spoken language as the main resource when attending to others’ ideas. In this paper, we problematize hegemonic assumptions of such a logocentric approach and its narrow scope. As an alternative, we propose a semiotic ideology, which focuses on the interplay among multiple semiotic resources, both linguistic and nonverbal. We argue that a semiotic ideology broadens what attending to others’ mathematical ideas in whole class settings entails. Recognizing bilingual children’s heightened sensitivity to nonverbal semiotic resources, we center bilingual classrooms as privileged sites to learn about a semiotic ideology. We draw on data from a third-grade Spanish-immersion classroom to illustrate considerations of temporality, materiality, and participant roles. We call for a continued search for intentional and creative ways to attend to the ideas of those with whom we do research.

Keywords:

• Semiotics
• mathematics education
• bilingualism
• logocentrism

Notes

1 Throughout the paper, we use “language” to refer to named national languages, in general, and “spoken language” to refer to teacher or student talk, in particular (see Otheguy et al., 2015, for a detailed explanation). This differs from conceptualizations of “the language of mathematics” as the communication of mathematical ideas through talk, written words, numbers, or mathematical symbols. We consider each of these as semiotic resources.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

José Martínez Hinestroza

José Martínez Hinestroza, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in elementary mathematics education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University. He engages in participatory research to explore mathematics teaching and learning in bilingual elementary classrooms. He focuses on how students, teachers, and researchers come together to develop classroom cultures that are inclusive of children's multiple ways of participating.

Juanita M. Silva

Juanita Maria Silva, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in elementary mathematics education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University. Her research examines the role of instruction in fostering mathematical agency among traditionally marginalized multilingual students who have identified learning disability labels.

Luz A. Maldonado Rodríguez

Luz A. Maldonado Rodríguez is in Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA.