Specifying mathematical language demands: Theoretical framework of the language specification grid

The didactic perspective on mathematics and language focuses on topic-specific instructional approaches for integrating language learning opportunities into mathematics instruction. From a didactic perspective, a sound and research-based specification of language demands is crucial for providing well-focused learning opportunities. For this, the paper (1) presents the topic-specific specification grid as a useful practical tool for specifying mathematically relevant language demands and (2) explains its underlying theoretical framework by making explicit the four incorporated lenses: epistemic, conceptual, functional, and discursive. The theoretical framework for specifying topic-specific language demands combines various linguistic theory elements and is empirically grounded in findings on typical language demands while mathematics learning.