Document Type

Dissertation

First Faculty Advisor

Kennedy, Kristin

Keywords

Bilingual, Math Ability

Publisher

Bryant University

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine if there is any relationship between being bilingual, defined as speaking your native language at home and another language in school, and your mathematical ability. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health was used to compare the math grades of students who were not born in the US and speak English, Spanish, or Other at home. Also, data from the Bryant University first year students was used to test if students who speak a different language at home have a higher mathematical average than their monolingual peers. Results show that students who are classified as balanced bilinguals perform better at math than monolingual or one-dominant bilingual students.

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