Interlinear morphemic gloss (IMG) of fraction naming conventions in isiXhosa

Abstract

Many learners of mathematics struggle with fractions, frequently considering fractions to be two different unrelated numbers. In this paper four mathematics texts, translated From English into isiXhosa, are analysed in order to describe isiXhosa fraction naming conventions. Interlinear morphemic glossing (IMG) provides addition information, which goes beyond the idiomatic translation, providing relevant information for both the English and isiXhosa texts. The analysis shows that there are two primary conventions. One convention is expressed with the denominator first as in ‘fifths.of-which-there-are-4’, the other is more similar to the English ‘4 over five’ but makes explicit a relationship between 4 and 5. The affordances and constraints of both isiXhosa fraction naming conventions are described in relation to the English naming conventions.