Math Word Problems in an Esl Classroom

As a math teacher in Asia, I face the same qoute day in day out. My students cannot do math word problems. They simply don't understand them. And I am not talking about those 2, 3 students that would even exact their teacher, no I am talking about the majority of my students.

Word problems are the heart of my subject; they give meaning to the numbers and divulge to our daily life practices. 2 times 2 doesn't mean anything, but 2 apples of 2 dollars each does! Math and conceptualization walk hand in hand.

Most of the teachers at my school seem to be jealous with me because teaching math is supposed to be so easy to teach in our Esl setting. Math is easy because it's all about the numbers, and those are universal. True, but this response overlooks the representation, or perception, of numbers. Math is all about solving problems and requires schoraly reading skills.

Our school is a humble school in Thailand and like many schools in this gorgeous country the point of English as a global language is recognized. Ep schools, or English Programs, are mushrooming in all provinces. For indispensable tuition fees, young Thais learn all subjects, except Thai of course, in English. This sounds great in terms of amelioration and global thinking, but comes with risks.

Thai students are not fluent in English. They unquestionably have poor English skills. International appraisal studies demonstrate weak English skills, which is not unquestionably a surprise. The Thai language has no resemblance with English and outside school, and at home, only Thai is spoken.

So how can students in Thailand learn school subjects like public studies, science and math in English without missing the point? This is the million dollar question. How can teachers, school administrators and parents expect these children to learn concepts when the delivery of data is not understood?

Word problems are perceived as difficult by students. It requires students to read and analyze problems in order to come up with the indispensable methodology. A fantastic example of such a problem, is a question from my fourth grade math book:

"The entrance fee of a trade exhibition is .40. On Monday 250 citizen visited the exhibition and on Tuesday 200 citizen more than on Monday visited the trade exhibition. How much money was collected in entrance fees on both days?"

As understandable, the majority of the students will struggle with this problem. Mathematically, 3 steps are involved: addition, again increasing and multiplication. Not easy for a fourth grader, but the biggest challenge is not the mathematical operations, no it's the language used. How can any young trainee divulge to trade exhibitions? And how many native English students can unquestionably spell the word exhibition correctly? Now dream Thai students and the mystery for teachers to illustrate this problem. So much time will be wasted on explaining words like trade, exhibition and visitors.

So how can we teach these problems to Esl students from Thailand, or anywhere for that matter? First, throw away your book! Any book with problems like the one above are not excellent for young learners and not at all for Esl students. Second: rewrite your material. Use easier language, talk to the English teachers and use the vocabulary taught in their lessons.

The same qoute as above can be rewritten as follows:

"The price of 1 ice-cream is .40. A shop sold 250 ice-creams on Monday. On Tuesday the shop sold 200 ice-creams more than on Monday. How much money did the shop earn on both days?"

With these words the problems has become a math qoute again and most students will understand the meaning of it. Whether they can solve it or not, now becomes a mathematical issue and not one of (non-existent) schoraly reading skills.

Teaching word problems to non-native English students is a challenge, but not impossible. There are may websites out there with great sources. Don't give up on your students. When math is only about numbers, it will never make any meaning!

A Range of productive Classroom supervision Strategies

1. Concentration Seeking Behaviour

- Tactical ignoring (balanced out with lots of presence praise)

- Get up close - move into their space and run the episode from this position for a while

- Remain very calm and avoid getting wound up and rewarding the behaviour with negative attention

- Agree non-verbal cues in strengthen with known trouble-makers

2. Swearing/verbal abuse

- Have rules and routines in place and remind them of the consequences for bad language

- Consistent arrival - All incidents of bad language need to be followed up so as not to allow excuses for 'accidental' swearing.

- Tape record outbursts of foul language and justify that it can be played back to parents

- Take out a note pad and say "I'm now recording what you're saying

- Have a meeting with the pupil/s complex and ask them to recommend alternative ways of expressing/dealing with anger or alternative words to use when they are angry.

3. Noisy class (start of lessons)

- Allow some cooling off time of a few minutes after transitions and breaks to allow them to settle.

- Use the countdown technique with lots of presence praise... "5; Ok it's time to stop and look this way. Excellent, very quick on that table. 4; pens should be down, books and mouths should be closed, very good you two, you're listening to me. 3; still too much noise over here, that side of the room are perfect. 2; Just waiting for the last few citizen now, all conversations should be stopped, hands on the desk in front of you. Well done, you've got it. 1; thank you.

- Have a optical reminder of noise levels such as coloured cards/traffic lights. When green is up the noise level in the room is fine. Orange - warning, level is too high and needs to drop immediately. If it doesn't drop after an agreed time, red card goes up. Red. Stop the activity, take a small off break and insist on silent working for 5 minutes.

- Take operate at the door - don't let them in the room until they're quiet

4. Confrontation

- Adopt non-threatening body language (body to side, open arms).

- Avoid threatening hand gestures (pointing), facial expressions and verbal language (shouting, accusing).

- Diffuse and de-escalate - use humour, convert subject.

- Calmly offer support... ("How can I help?" "I'm listening.")

5. Disruption

- take off the audience factor, try and talk to them quietly on a 1:1 basis where potential and remind them of past successes and capabilities - try to find something inescapable to say first.

- Give them a responsibility

- Language of Choice

"Do you want to move closer to the board or remain where you are?"

"Do you need me to help you or can you get on with things on your own?"

"What are you supposed to be doing? What happens if you don't do it? Is that what you want? What are you going to choose?"

- Calmly warn them of consequences and consequent up using the '3 requests'...

§ "Jordan sit back down on your chair and quit the work please"

§ "Jordan, I'm request you for the second time to sit down and get on with your work."

§ "Jordan this is the third and final time I'm going to ask you."

§ "Jordan you've chosen to ignore me. Go to Time Out."

6. Ignoring you

- Give very clear instructions so there is no room for obscuring or argument.

- Try using humor to convert their state from being angry or sullen

- Refuse to get drawn into confrontation - "I've told you what you need to do and you know what happens if you don't. It's your choice, I'll be ready after school if you want to discuss it then."

- On a 1:1 basis with a pupil you usually get on well with try to find what is bothering them by calmly repeating statements such as "Tell me what's wrong so I can help you." "You talk, I'll listen." "tell me what's bothering you, I'll listen."

7. Lack of Equipment

- Offer to loan them some of your equipment in return for 'collateral' such as a shoe.

- Give a brief duration of time at the start of the episode for pupils to borrow items from other members of the class

- reward those who bring required equipment

- Focus on teaching right action and correcting behaviour of persistent offenders: Offer them withhold in the way of special reminders and post parents that this key issue is causing concern; get them to consequent up at home and issue reminders at home.

8. Lack of motivation

- Set short term mini-targets. "By the end of the episode you need to get down to here in your text book." "In the next ten minutes you need to complete numbers 1-4. I'll be back to check in ten minutes."

- Make episode activities more active

- include fun starters, video clips, educational games, energizers, magic tricks and brain teasers in your lessons from time to time to break up monotony.

- Use loads and loads of efficient praise and encouragement.

9. Late

- Have clear rules on punctuality and consistently apply them

- always consequent up lateness and ensure pupil makes up missed work

- Have a reward ideas which acknowledges those who come on time

- Keep records. Get pupil to fill in a form giving imagine for late arrival and the time they arrived. Send copies home with declaration of consequences if it continues.

10. Off-Task (low level disruption)

- Use pre-agreed non-verbal signals

- Get close up - sit or stand close to them and say nothing, carry on with the lesson

- Use presence and personal praise - Look for opportunities to catch them being good.

- Look for opportunities to offer help... Offer choices, adjust the work, adjust seating

11. Defiance

- Offer withhold - often pupils are defiant because they are afraid of failure - adjust the work, offer help, ask them what's bothering them.

- Remind them of past successes and capabilities

- Remind them that you are there to help them and ask them for help in how to bring that about. "I need your advice. I want to help you - what is going to make this easier for you?"

- Go through stepped sanctions as per school behaviour course e.g.

§ Give them a warning (verbal/name on board etc.) and remind them of consequences

§ Move them to an isolated seat

§ Take time off them at break/after school

§ post them of a letter/phone call home

§ "park' them in another class

§ Send them to senior staff

12. Shouting out

- Ignore those who shout out and reward/praise those that don't

- Play class team games/quizzes where answers will only be approved by those who put their hands up. Penalize team-members who shout out by taking a point off the team.

- Have a clear course on how questions are to be answered in class

- Keep those who shout in at break and justify that shouting won't be tolerated

13. Flatulence

- Ignore it. By reacting you give them exactly what they were trying to elicit.

- justify that if they do it again they will have to stay in at break for a episode on healthy diet and the consequent inescapable foods have on digestion.

- Show great concern for their health and tell them it might be a good idea if you were to talk to their parents about it immediately by telephone if they are having issue controlling it.

- consequent general course for disruptive behaviour but be particular not to appear confrontational or you will get the first-rate response "That's not fair, I can't help it."

14. Failing to consequent instructions

- justify very clearly the consequence of not following instructions. Tell them you expect immediate compliancy and then give them a few moments to save face by walking away.

- record the details of the incident and consequent up with senior staff.

- Warn them that you will be contacting parents. (Make sure you do so if the defiance continues).

- Have the pupil removed from the classroom