Bringing language to the equation

“Learning mathematics is like learning a foreign language. Much like learning a language, digesting mathematical knowledge also takes time, practice and the right attitude.”

It was only during the course of his work that secondary school teacher Suhaimi bin Yusri picked up this insight – he became more cognisant of the challenges that students face when they are introduced to new concepts like algebra and trigonometry.

However, the parallel analogy on the challenges of learning mathematics and foreign languages was indeed serendipitous, given that he majored in Applied Mathematics and minored in French Language Studies as an undergraduate at the Faculty of Science. 

Suhaimi has always had a passion for learning languages but ventured into university with the “misconception” that it would be challenging to juggle learning a language in his studies. However, starting off first with Arabic before moving on to French led to the discovery that it was possible to couple his primary major with his minor! 

“This motivated me to take language learning more seriously,” he says. 

As a teacher, Suhaimi takes pride in providing authentic learning experiences for his students, to relate their learning to real-world problems. Here, his major provided him a strong mathematical background to understand the underpinning theories behind secondary school mathematics.

He says, “The courses I took enabled me to understand the application of mathematics in real life, such as in finance, operations research and optimisation.”   

“My studies also equipped me with useful computational thinking skills to guide students in approaching mathematical problems in a more systematic manner as well as to reflect on their solutions,” he adds. This encourages students in developing their cognitive and metacognitive competencies.

There is no better way to see mathematics come alive in the physical world and to witness how mathematical concepts and theories manifest beyond the four walls of the classroom than through his vocation.

He says, “I would like to nurture future generations of students to discover joy in learning mathematics. I hope that students can also use the knowledge and skills they acquire in my classroom to improve their lives as well as the lives of others.”