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ERIC Number: EJ861425
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Nov
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1479-0718
EISSN: N/A
Code-Switching in a College Mathematics Classroom
Chitera, Nancy
International Journal of Multilingualism, v6 n4 p426-442 Nov 2009
This paper presents the findings that explored from the discourse practices of the mathematics teacher educators in initial teacher training colleges in Malawi. It examines how mathematics teacher educators construct a multilingual classroom and how they view code-switching. The discussion is based on pre-observation interviews with four mathematics teacher educators in teacher training colleges and the data collected from their mathematics classroom observations. The research findings indicate that the mathematics teacher educators regard multilingualism and the language practices that come with it such as code-switching more as a problem rather than a resource for teaching and learning. Contrary to the emphasis that code-switching is spontaneous and encouraged in schools, it is found that the nature of code-switching in college mathematics classroom is not spontaneous; rather it is very much controlled and restricted. Furthermore, this paper shows that the dilemmas of code-switching as discussed by Adler (1998 ,2001) are more acute in teacher training colleges. This article argues that code-switching needs to be viewed as a resource in college mathematics classrooms and student teachers should be given the opportunity to code-switch without being restricted by the teacher educators. (Contains 2 tables, 2 notes, and 16 endnotes.)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Malawi
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A