Bilingualism and Mathematics Learning: Another Perspective

Abstract

There has been continuing discussion in the literature as to the effects of bilingualism on cognitive tasks. Much of the research has been carried out with immigrant students in developed countries. This study is set in a developing country and was based on the theoretical work of Cummins. Grade 6 students from five urban Community Schools in Papua New Guinea completed several mathematics and language tests, a survey form eliciting information on home background, and a test of cognitive development. The data supported the thesis that students' level of competence in their original tongue and in English, the language of their regular schooling, were significant influences on mathematical performance. In particular these results supported Cummins's threshold hypothesis. They also support the notion that bilingualism should not be taken as a unidimensional entity, and that allowance should be made for its multidimensional nature when carrying out research and when making educational decisions.