English for Mathematics Education

Before join a lecture in Yogyakarta State University (UNY) with my study program, International Mathematics Education, I did not sure that class full in English. I ever have experience in my Senior High School, where I was in bilingual class. The head master said the teacher who taught in this class would use English and Bahasa Indonesia while teaching. But until end there was no teacher talked in English. Because of that I thought that my lecture will not full in English.

On the first day lecture, all lecturers not taught us immediately, but they used the time for introduction, they told about rule and syllabus and they talked in English. In fact I made a mistake. All my mathematics lecturers told in English. This Class is the real International Class of mathematics Education.

In the first semester of International class of mathematics Education.  All of our Presentation, explanation, conversation and assignment about mathematics full in English. And this is my new experience learn mathematics in English, because I have  learned mathematics in Bahasa Indonesia as long as 12 years since I was in Elementary school. In this lecture I learn Mathematics from beginning. Try to recognize Mathematics, learn mathematics, and explain mathematics using English. It’s amazing; talk mathematics is little bit different with daily conversation.  Talk mathematics therefore talk about rule of mathematics, we talk about theory, proof, postulate, etc.

My English teacher, Mr. Marsigit, ever told me how to communicate mathematics education in English. He said that Mathematics not only talk about Operation number like Multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction or talk about fraction, number, geometry. But also how to communicate It for all generation.

Communicating Mathematics Education to younger students is different with older students. For younger students we use a simple word to explain their subject. Substances that younger learn is more simple, like addition, subtraction, multiplication or division a simple whole number. They learn a fraction, but a simple too. All matter is simple. Because of that we need to communicate Mathematics with a simple word and aid some tools, so that the students learn mathematics easily. If they feel good with it, they will have awareness and willingness to learn it by themselves.

Way to communicate Mathematics Education to older students is using postulate and theory. Substance that the older students learn is more difficult. They talk about proof and they talk about how to use and when will be used. They get science by themselves more than their lecturer gives. And here the student requires their lecture to guide them, to teach them and to give them motivation.

English for mathematics Education is really necessary in this time. Mathematics not only present in Indonesia but also in other country. And developing Mathematics in aboard is larger than Indonesia. We need to know how mathematics is learned in foreign, and how their develop it. To get more knowledge about mathematics, we require English as International Language