Greater linguistic complexity increases the difficulty of English-language math items for ELLs compared to non-ELLs of equivalent math proficiency¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associationalr?·q2
Currency · newest study 2008 · checked against its sources 2026-10-19 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q2 i? Prior research, as characterized in this article, shows greater linguistic complexity raises the difficulty of English-language math items more for ELLs than for non-ELLs of equivalent math proficiency. → Maria Martiniello 2008
Evidence¶
Maria Martiniello 2008¶
Maria Martiniello. (2008). Language and the Performance of English-Language Learners in Math Word Problems. Harvard Educational Review. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.78.2.70783570r1111t32
q2 · i? · associational · r?
The article states it "builds on prior research showing that greater linguistic complexity increases the difficulty of Englishlanguage math items for ELLs compared to non-ELLs of equivalent math proficiency." This is the article's characterization of prior work, not a new analysis reported here.
"It builds on prior research showing that greater linguistic complexity increases the difficulty of Englishlanguage math items for ELLs compared to non-ELLs of equivalent math proficiency."
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- English-Learner Status — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
- Communication Skills — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it
Related Claims¶
- Some 2003 MCAS fourth-grade math word problems exhibited differential item functioning for English-language learners versus non-ELLs — related
- Textual analysis identifies specific linguistic features of MCAS word problems that posed disproportionate difficulty for ELLs — related
- Linguistic simplification of math word problems can improve performance, particularly among English language learners and students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
linguistic-complexity-increases-ell-math-item-difficulty |
title |
Greater linguistic complexity increases the difficulty of English-language math items for ELLs compared to non-ELLs of equivalent math proficiency |
description |
Greater linguistic complexity increases the difficulty of English-language math items for ELLs compared to non-ELLs of equivalent math proficiency |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
2008 |
source_checked |
2026-10-19 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-15 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — maria-martiniello-2008 |
Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.