Perspectives on studies of Language in Mathematics Education:

where we came from, where we are, and where we are going

Abstract

This text is an expanded written version of the talk delivered by the author at the roundtable with the same title during the V National Seminar on Language and Mathematics Education (SENALEM), held at PUC-SP from December 3 to 5, 2025. In this article, I seek to outline an overview of the trajectory, the current state, and possible future paths for the field of Language within Mathematics Education, particularly in Brazil. Based on a historical rereading that dates to the early twentieth century, the text revisits some of the philosophical, epistemological, and pedagogical foundations that have shaped this field of study. It also examines how research on mathematical language has developed in Brazil, highlighting the consolidation of Mathematics Education as an academic field, the influence of discourse theories, and the growing role of semiotic studies. In its most recent discussions, the article points to research trends within the field of language, drawing on the formation of research groups, scientific events, and leading authors in the area. It concludes by emphasizing that the field simultaneously experiences processes of consolidation and fragmentation, which pose new theoretical and practical challenges to be addressed by researchers and educators in the future.