A Framework for the Comparison of Pme Research into Multilingual Mathematics Education in Different Sociolinguistic Settings

The effects of multilingualism have been an explicit focus of a number of PME research reports in recent years. These reports, however, are located in a wide range of socio-linguistic circumstances, making it difficult to compare findings and develop a clearer understanding of the relationship between the teaching, learning or understanding of mathematics. In this paper, I describe a framework that organises the different socio-linguistic settings in which multilingual mathematics classrooms are commonly found. I use this framework to analyse recent PME research reports that focus on multilingualism in mathematics education. My analysis shows that, although the English language has a strong influence in a range of settings, the manifestation of this influence varies.