Teaching notes and ideas
Name of resource:
Maths glossary
Age group(s)
Subject(s)
12 to 14, 15 to 16
Maths
Topic
Language Level
Maths
Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced
EAL Nexus
Description of resource
A set of cards with the main maths terminology translated into Spanish
Preparation needed
You will need:
 a copy of the PowerPoint slides for each EAL learner who can read Spanish
 a copy of the PowerPoint slides in every language available for use in the
classroom.
You will need to:
 print an A4 version of the slides by going to print, full page slides
Curriculum objectives
 To learn and know the main maths terminology
 To enable learners to build on their existing knowledge of maths concepts
and vocabulary
Language/Literacy objectives
Functions
Describing
Naming/defining
Hypothesising
Comparing
Structures
A ______ has …
We measure … in …
… is/are …; … is/are not …
… means …; … is the same as …
… is when …
… is the …
… are … which …
… is a … which …
If … how many …?
If … what is …?
Comparatives: e.g. greater than, less than, fewer than,
bigger, smaller, etc.
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2015
EAL Nexus
Exemplifying
For example …; E.g. …; … such as …
Vocabulary
Topics covered: 2D shapes, 3D shapes, addition, angles, area, averages,
capacity, circles, comparison, data handling, decimals, distance, division, equals,
fractions, graphs, instruments, length, lines, mass, money, more than/less than,
multiplication, numbers, percentages, perimeter, polygons, subtraction,
symmetry, temperature, time, transformations, triangles, volume, weight
This resource could be used:
 as differentiation within class
 one to one or small group
 for independent learning
Ideas for using the resource
What to do
 This is a maths glossary including the main key terms used in the maths
classroom with learners aged 12–14, 15–16, with translations into Spanish.
 Give EAL learners a copy of the card(s) that are relevant to topics being taught
and encourage them to use it in class and at home.
 Spanish is not only spoken in Spain, but also in many countries of Central and
South America, on a number of islands in the Caribbean, as well as in
Equatorial Guinea in Africa. There are some small differences in the words
used, grammar and pronunciation between the Spanish used in Spain and the
Spanish of Central and South America. These are comparable to the
differences which are found between American and UK English. Consequently,
bilingual Spanish resources will be understood by learners from all continents.
 This resource is useful for introducing new vocabulary prior to teaching a
certain topic. It is helpful to EAL learners if they can familiarise themselves with
it in advance.
 Using the learners’ first language ability can enhance their more effective
learning as they only have to transfer their topic knowledge into English.
Bilingual dictionaries / translation software are a proven effective tool for
teaching key terminology and concepts to EAL learners, especially more
advanced ones.
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2015
EAL Nexus
 Each slide includes an example task (in the blue box), so the learner has a
chance to try what they have learned about the particular topic, and the teacher
is able to assess whether they have understood.
Other ideas for making the best use of this resource
 The keywords used in the glossary can be cut and stuck into learners’ books.
 As a revision task, cut selected English definitions/explanations from relevant
cards and ask learners to work in pairs to explain orally or rewrite the
explanation in English. EAL learners can be paired with a student who can
provide a good model of English. The EAL learner will still have the definition in
his/her first language. They can check their explanations/definitions against the
original slide:
e.g. symmetry. Delete the English so it reads: Symmetry is when you …
Possible extension activities
Using the example task (in the blue box) on each slide as a model, ask pupils to
write their own questions. E.g. What is the area of a rectangle with length 10cm and
width 7cm? Learners can replace the underlined words/numbers to create their own
questions. Once learners are familiar with the structure of the question, remove the
model and encourage them to write a question independently.
This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
© British Council 2015