Familiarity with basic mathematical vocabulary among English majors at Jordanian universities and the need for reform

Abstract EN

The study reported in this paper was conducted to assess the degree of familiarity with basic mathematical vocabulary among English majors in the bachelor degree programs at three public universities in Jordan : The University of Jordan, Yarmouk University, and Mu'tah University.

It specifically aimed at assessing their ability to provide the English equivalents for the most common mathematical terms, as well as their ability to express the basic mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in English.

A random sample consisting of a hundred and twenty senior English majors from these universities provided the data for this study.

A twenty-five item test was used to measure their familiarity with basic mathematical vocabulary.

The vocabulary items included in the test were selected on the basis of their formal and conceptual simplicity, as well as their high frequency in basic mathematical discourse.

In view of the amount of coverage they receive in the school curriculum, and their practical usefulness in everyday life situations, the vocabulary items included in the test were expected to constitute common knowledge in Arabic and in English for the members of the sample.

The mean score achieved by the subjects on this test was 30.7 / 100 which indicates that their level of familiarity with basic mathematical vocabulary and their ability to express the basic operations in mathematics, were inadequate by the criteria adopted in the study which is a mean score of 50 / 100 or above.

The reasons behind this poor familiarity with this indispensable vocabulary for the English majors in various contexts are discussed.

Considering the obvious practical need for familiarity with this type of vocabulary for various purposes, the paper recommends familiarizing students with it through reading and translation courses.

And given the absence of any specific plans at the English departments investigated in this study for the type and size of vocabulary that their students are expected to know, the paper stresses the need for more planning and more willingness at English departments to revise, change, replace, and in some cases, remove some courses from their study programmes in order to meet the changing needs of the students and the requirements of the jobs that they are likely to perform in this highly competitive world.