The relationship between second language acquisition and mathematics accomplishment among second graders

Introduction: Study of bilingualism will enhance the understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms responsible for learning. Cognitive correlates of bilingualism such as enhancement of attention control, problem solving and working memory would be worth studying especially among young children to improve their future performances. Among the wide range of advantages of bilingualism, working memory enhancement was the focus of this study. The positive impact of working memory on mathematical skills has been highlighted in previous surveys. Hence, the present study intended to investigate the potential relation between second language acquisition (becoming bilingual) and mathematics achievement. Methods: In this correlational study, 31 bilingual second graders who were selected randomly participated in the experimental group after a placement test that homogenized their second language learning background. The controls were also selected randomly from among the peers with no second language learning background. After eliminating the potentially influencing factor of intelligence, using Raven’s test, a standardized math test was administered to the groups. The data was analyzed using SPSS program version 17. An independent t-test was applied to compare the results of the two groups. Results: The experimental group (with a mean of 7.3529) outperformed on the Mathematics test than did the control group (with a mean of 7.0000). Yet the difference between the performance results was statistically insignificant (P>0.05) Conclusion: Since the finding of this study was contrary to the literature regarding the outperformance of bilingual children, the reason of such result would be worth seeking in further studies.