Abstract
While research shows that English Learners (ELs), or Emergent Bilinguals (EBs), can engage productively in mathematics discussion in English (Moschkovich 2007; Takeuchi 2015), some question whether the language demands of whole group discussion in English limit EBs’ learning (Turner, Dominguez, Maldonado, & Empson 2013). In this article, we address this question by summarizing the results of a study of the relationship between effective mathematics discussion and performance on a written assessment by students in 20 third and fourth-grade classrooms in a low-income district where nearly half of the students are EBs (Banes et al., 2018, in press). Results showed all students benefited from quality discussions. We outline the features of classroom discussion that proved beneficial to all students, including EBs.