Maths and ESL

Maths to ESL Learnersan experience

John Allan

Overview Setting Strategies Technology E-resources

Setting Summer school Media students from same department Repeaters

Have taken the course this year at least once Key factors to success

Extrinsic motivation pass Higher Diploma Better career opportunities Peer pressure (status) Intensive session

six periods per day 5 days per week

Strategies Electronic materials developed by maths

department worked well with the Softboard Positive attitude only

Did not give up on them Taught from an ESL teachers’ perspective

Students created personal vocabulary list Examined how word problems were written to

identify patterns Internet hour each day

Technology Electronic materials Softboard Internet Web CT/Respondus

Internet resourcesDWC Interactive and printable worksheets at  http://dwc.hct.ac.ae/fnd/math/mathindex.shtm(now) http://dwc.hct.ac.ae/fnd/ For Variety the BBC website was used

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/index.shtml For basics which is what was required the Skillswise paths were used Use the whole numbers example http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/wholenumbers/addsubtract/written/

factsheet.shtmlFactsheet ->games->worksheet Math.com

http://www.math.com Revise Maths for introducing or reinforcing or keeping them awake during

lessonshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/education/revisewise/maths/index.shtml 

Tips and Troubles for Math and WebCT

 • 10 exp 4 or 104

• Null or Nul or Not or Ø• do not add extra information 803 passengers• answer with digits when asked• / or ÷• online calculator• < > confusion on Arabic Keyboard (not shown on

keys)• Ascending order or listing leave a space or comma• mixed numbers or fractions• Degrees symbol º 

Final ingredient

Luck