Cultural Math Interview

First of all, thank you so much for agreeing to talk with us about your math. We are
trying to learn about the math used in different places and we need your help to gather
information. We want to assure you that this is not a test, there are no wrong answers,
and your name will not be used anywhere. It is not important to us if you are good at
math. The following questions are for everyone to answer.
First Name: ____________________________________________
Country of Origin: __________________ Home Language Spoken:_________________
Other Languages Spoken: __________________________________________________
Time Lived in United States:_____________ Age ________________

1) When you count things do you count in

English or in your first language?
2) What is the most difficult thing about
counting in English?
3) What numbers are these, in English?
1,000
100,000

25,000
5,000,000

8,374,926
How is reading these numbers in
English different from reading them in
your first language?
4) Are there any rhymes, simple songs, or
games that you were taught when you
were very young to help you learn
numbers? (e.g. 1,2, buckle my shoe etc)
Write those you can remember. Use a
piece of paper if you need more room.

5) Are there any important numbers in

your culture? For example, 50 is
important in the U.S. because of the 50
states. 12 is a dozen, 13 is unlucky
Others? From religion, famous dates,
geography (provinces, states) cultural
(native tribes), ages (marriage, etc),
Anything else

6) When you were in school did you learn

about odd and even numbers?
How did you define odd and even
numbers?

7) Is the calendar in your culture the same

as the calendar in the U.S.?

8) Do you use any numbers in your culture

in sayings like these; (check those they
have in home land)

At the 11th hour __

5-o-clock shadow __
40 winks __
On all fours __
A chance in a million __
Feel like a million dollars __
Nine day wonder __
On cloud nine __
The whole nine yards __
At sixes and sevens __
Two left feet __
In two minds __

 Two shakes of a lambs tail __

6 of 1 half a dozen of the other __
2 peas in a pod __
2 is company 3 is a crowd __
(might have to explain these)
Go through numbers 1,2,3,4,5 etc to see if
you can jog their memories.

9) Add these numbers in your head

(without saying anything)
3+7+4+6=
What language did you use to do this?

10) Please complete these addition

problems.
What words do you use? Record the
words you use in your first language
(and in English if you can)
24 + 12 =
78 + 16 =

11) Please complete these subtraction

problems.
What words do you use? Record the
words you use in your first language
(and in English if you can)
46 12 =
72 28 =

12) Please complete these multiplication

problems.
What words do you use? Record the
words you use in your first language
(and in English if you can)
3x8=
4 x 28 =
12 x 15 =

13) Please complete the following division

problems.
What words do you use? Record the
words you use in your first language
(and in English if you can)
93=

75 5 =

139 6
14) When you were in elementary
(primary) school what sorts of things
did you count with when you were
learning how to add and subtract? (e.g.
apples and oranges in US classrooms)

3)

1,000

25,000

100,000

5,000,000

8,374,926
4) Write rhymes, songs here.

9) 3 + 7 + 4 + 6 =

Solve
these.

How would you Solve

do it? Write it out these.
and solve it.

10)

24
+12

78
+16

11)

46
-12

72
-28

12)

8
x3

28
x4

How would you

do it? Write it
out and solve it

Solve
these.

How would you Solve

do it? Write it out these.
and solve it.

12)
15
cont. x12

13)

3/ 9

(Note; draw
in line above
the 9 to make
it a division
algorithm
same with
other two
algorithms)

13) 6/139
cont.

5/75

How would you

do it? Write it
out and solve it