Expert: Merry D - 5/1/2009

Question
Merry. I have two students who have recently relocated from China and have been put in my Algebra II class. They speak very little English and I know zero Chinese. I was wondering if you knew of a website that I could use that might have a translation of basic math terms into Chinese characters or vice-versa. I have been doing some very visual things and they understand the math once they figure what's going on on their own, it's the directions they are having a hard time with: solve, draw, analyze, things like that. If I could show them the right symbol in their language, they might feel much more comfortable. Please help.

Answer
hi I am glad that you choose me as your question answering person.
I know it could be hard to explain the math problem in English to native Chinese, but that is not hard to overcome. I am sure your students can rely on the dictionary to understand the words:plus, minus, mean, etc.
The best thing to do to explain is to write out and draw out, we have common on Arabic numbers and algebra drawing. So use the graphic and pictures are the best way to explain, but they have to have enough vocabulary volume in math in English-They have to work hard to prepare before the class start. So it is the combination of English study and Math study.

Here is the website link which may help them to get terminology for math.



http://www.eudict.com/?lang=engchi&word=proper%20fraction%20(math.)


http://www.ccri.edu/math/Practice_Tests_supplements/0600/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20...


Once they can translation the algebra term in simple english, then they will interpret into Chinese, along with their english knowledge growth, they should be able to understand you without any problem.

Just like me-I learned all of my math courses in Graduate School using this methods.

Hope this will help.


Best