Cover -- The Pragmatics of Mathematics Education: Vagueness in Mathematical Discourse -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- Series Editor's Preface -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1. Preview and Methodology -- Two Principles -- Aims and Themes -- A Context in Language Research -- Mathematical Conversations -- Contrary Trends: Framing and Sample Size -- Ethnography and Interpretation -- Interpretation and Participant Observation -- Summary -- 2. Generalization -- Generalization and Inductive Reasoning -- What Is Inductive Reasoning? -- Induction and the Mind -- Mathematical Heuristic -- Truth and Conviction: the Theory of Numbers -- Explanation and Proof: Generic Examples -- Generic Examples and 'real' Undergraduate Mathematics -- Recollection -- Summary -- 3. Perspectives on Vagueness -- Viewpoint: Mathematics and Mathematics Education -- Interface: Mathematics and Language -- Viewpoint: Philosophy of Language -- Modality -- Pragmatics and Vagueness -- Summary -- 4. Discourse and Interpretation -- Reference -- Pronouns and Reference: Power and Solidarity -- Some Approaches to Discourse -- Overview: Approaches to Discourse -- Summary -- 5. Pointing with Pronouns -- The Informants -- The Exclusive 'we' -- 'It' -- On 'you' and Generalization -- Summary -- 6. Hedges -- Method -- 'Make Ten': Frances and Ishka -- Hedge Types in Mathematics Talk -- Hedges: the Taxonomy Revisited -- Hedges and Politeness -- The Zone of Conjectural Neutrality -- Summary -- 7. Estimation and Uncertainty -- Estimation -- Counting -- Enquiry Focus -- Method -- Data -- Observations -- Interpretive Framework -- Interpretation of the Data -- Gender Differences -- Modal Auxiliaries -- Prosody -- Summary -- 8. Pragmatics, Teaching and Learning -- The Informal Research Group -- Case 1: Hazel -- Case 2: Ann -- Case 3: Judith -- Case 4: Rachel -- Case 5: Sue.

Case 6: the Public Lecture -- Case 7: Open University Video -- Case 8: Jonathan -- Summary -- 9. Summary and Review -- Pronouns -- Modality, Hedges and Indirect Speech Acts -- The Zone of Conjectural Neutrality -- Validation and Classroom Application -- Interpretation of Transcripts of Mathematics Talk -- Conclusion -- Appendix 1: Transcript Conventions -- Appendix 2: Index of Transcripts -- References -- Author Index -- Subject Index.