Learning opportunities in mathematics: the role of first language in bilingual settings

Bilingualism has been always a great challenge in mathematics education. Usually, students whose first language (L1) is different from the language of instruction (L2) have serious difficulties in learning mathematics. The purpose of the present paper is to highlight the efficacy of the L1 as a versatile resource to enhance educational performance for those students whose L1 is different from the L2. The data reported in this study reveal that how the bilingual students in Zanjan, one of the northwest provinces of Iran, use their L1 (i.e., Turkish language) to support their mathematical learning. To this end, interviews with teachers and students in two public secondary schools have been made, and their mathematics lessons were video recorded and then transcribed. Herein, the two distinct learning opportunities, namely (i) visualization and L1 and (ii) discovery of concepts and L1, from using the L1 have been proposed and discussed. The results of two examples from two small groups indicate a significant influence of the learners’ first language on mathematics teaching and learning performance.