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One of the biggest challenges English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners face in solving Mathematics word problems at the English college level is understanding the information presented through that language. This study aimed to investigate the importance of language in Mathematics word problems tests by analyzing students’ performance on linguistically modified mathematics word problems. Forty-four university students were given ten Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) Mathematics word problems, along with parallel items that were modified based on a framework by Abedi and Lord (2001) to reduce their linguistic complexity. Students’ written works were compiled and graded. An interview was conducted to investigate further students’ linguistic challenges in solving the problems. The findings revealed that EFL students with low English ability benefited more from the modification by showing greater score gain. First, third, and fourth-year students benefited more from the modification than second-year and fast track students, while there was no difference observed based on gender. Investigation on language challenge types that appeared in students’ work is recommended for further study.

Mathematics; word problems; EFL; linguistic challenges