Abstract
Mathematics classrooms are sites of encounter for different voices, perspectives, and ideas. Those differences become even more visible when the object of difference is language. In his chapter, Barwell draws on Bakhtin’s concept of heteroglossia to explore the tensions that underpin multilingual classrooms. He enquires about how those tensions influence the teaching and learning of mathematics and the implications that they may have for equity in mathematics teaching. In my comments, I would like to dwell upon the question of language in the mathematics classroom and on some issues about equity.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bakhtin, M. (1984). Esthétique de la création verbale [The aesthetics of verbal creation]. Paris: Gallimard.
Kawagley, O. (1990). Yup’ik ways of knowing. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 17, 5–17.
Lizcano, E. (1993). Imaginario colectivo y creación matemática [Collective imaginary and mathematical creation]. Barcelona: Editorial Gedisa.
Vološinov, V. N. (1973). Marxism and the philosophy of language. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Radford, L. (2012). Commentary on the Chapter by Richard Barwell, “Heteroglossia in Multilingual Mathematics Classrooms”. In: Forgasz, H., Rivera, F. (eds) Towards Equity in Mathematics Education. Advances in Mathematics Education. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27702-3_30
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27702-3_30
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27701-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27702-3
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)