Teachers’ knowledge and use of mathematics register for teaching and communication

Research has progressively considered a resource-oriented rather than a deficit-based approach towards understanding the role of language in helping students learn mathematical concepts. Notably, there has been a call for greater attention to the notion of mathematics teaching talk, which focuses on teachers’ use of language as a resource to teach mathematics (and the language of mathematics). It is argued that mathematics teaching talk plays an important role in enabling teachers to communicate mathematical ideas or meanings of mathematical concepts and in turn, preparing students to participate better in mathematical discourse practices. Specifically, this paper seeks to exemplify what teachers know and do in relation to mathematics teaching talk through the lens of the Mathematics Register Knowledge Quartet (MRKQ). Consequently, we propose the utilisation of the MRKQ as a resource in mathematics teacher education to develop teachers’ knowledge and use of the mathematics register for teaching and communication.