1. Why do children often experience difficulty with the language of mathematics?

‘In the early stages difficulties are largely a consequence of the peculiarities and irregularities of many maths words in the English Language’.
It is inconsistent in a variety of ways; one way is due to the varying long list of languages, one word e.g. Plane, has a meaning in maths and also has various other meanings in the English language; plain, plane (747), plane (wood). [1]
Even when students learn to count to 20 and above the teen numbers are inconsistent with the beginning numbers they have learnt; e.g. 1,2,3,4.  Even when counting in the 20’s, 30’s etc. you hear twenty one, where are 12 you don’t say ten two, which seems like it would be the logical way to count on. Numbers 11-19 do not fit in the pattern of later numbers.[2]

2.   When teaching the four basic operations of mathematics is it important to introduce students to as many words as possible to describe each operation or does this cause confusion.

I think it is important to teach them more than one way of describing a function. I say this because if the students aren’t exposed to the various descriptors when they are exposed to them in another context they will not understand and have difficulty with the given task. When I say it is important to expose them to the different descriptors I do not mean use every single one every lesson, simply just to explain to the students that there are many ways in which you can say 1 plus 1 etc.

3.   Give an example of a word used in mathematics that can have another meaning that might confuse students. Show how students might misuse or misunderstand the word.

Carry
When used in maths it is used when doing addition of larger number e.g. carry the 10 across into the tens column. Whereas in everyday life students may be told to carry their bags.When students hear this they may think how am I suppose to lift a number off of a page and where am I meant to carry it too? And why am I carrying it?