References of speech acts as characteristics of mathematical classroom conversation

In the article three parts of classroom conversation are studied with respect to the linguistic interference between teacher and pupils. Special attention is given to the reference of words and symbols of teacher and pupils. Some conclusions are:

- In classroom conversation we may consider the references of speech act as one of the basic features of learning.

- For succesful transfer of references between teacher and pupil, it is necessary that they are handling the same referential frameworks. Those frameworks are very fundamental in every day speech (‘form’ and ‘color’).

- Differences in references between teacher and pupils may lead to blockages in the learning. Sometimes they result in learning that is an imitation of teacher behaviour.

- To avoid these unwanted effects of learning, the teacher has to ensure that learning takes place within the everyday language of the pupils. So he will have to stimulate the pupils to explicate by themselves what they perceive and what they think.