We’ve all heard this phrase: but math is math! Math is a universal language! 😳 Well, it is not. Especially whem we are talking about math in the context of English (ELL) (or ang other language learning). 1. We can’t communicate anything putely through numbers. Yes, the digital expressions of numbers are the same across many cultures, but to say 2 2 = 4 in any language requires words. 2. Increasingly, students are required to explain and analyze mathematical concepts in their own words in school