In 2021, the ALIS theme explored translanguaging theory, which posits that bi/multilinguals do not have two or more autonomous language systems, but instead, have a unitary linguistic repertoire from which learners select features to make meaning. It is a departure from “English-only” practices as learners’ first languages are utilized and affirmed in the classroom. Translanguaging pedagogy, then, is seen as a method that respects the learner’s linguistic repertoire and provides learners with a more socially just education.

The academic session at TESOL 2021 launched this exploration and continued with the three webinars with translanguaging scholars: Kate Seltzer (Rowan University), Angelica Galante (McGill. University), and Laila Aghai (Northwest Vista College). Using a Google doc format, I asked each presenter the most common questions that teachers have regarding the application of translanguaging pedagogy. The responses reveal that while skepticism is understandable and there are challenges to implementation, translanguaging pedagogy offers clear benefits for the learners and for educational systems.

1. Do you have experience teaching emergent bi/multilinguals in the classroom?

Aghai:

Yes, I began my teaching career as an English as a Foreign Language teacher to emergent bilinguals. I later taught international students from linguistically diverse backgrounds in colleges and universities.

Galante:

Yes, I began my teaching career in São Paulo, Brazil, as an English as a Foreign Language teacher in K-12 and language schools, a drama teacher, and academic preparation instructor for English-Medium Instruction. In Canada, I have taught multilinguals in colleges and universities in the linguistically and culturally diverse provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

Seltzer:

Yes! I began my career as a high school ELA teacher to mostly emergent bilinguals in New York City.

2. Not everyone is convinced of a translanguaging pedagogy. What is it about translanguaging as a pedagogical ideology that you find particularly helpful or important for teachers or students?

Galante:

When I first learned about translanguaging, it took me some time to understand the concept and how it can benefit multilingual students, so I understand why some people may not be convinced at first. The thing about translanguaging as a pedagogical practice that makes me really excited is that there are so many benefits for both teachers and students that cannot be ignored, so instead of being skeptical about it, I encourage people to learn about the benefits. First, translanguaging is a lens: We don’t see our students as a language learner whose skills are deficient; instead, we see our students as multilinguals who have several resources in their repertoire to communicate and make sense of the world. This view is inclusive and non-discriminatory. Second, several studies suggest that through translanguaging pedagogy students have many benefits, which cannot be ignored: They learn vocabulary and concepts more effectively; their language practices are validated in the classroom and this gives them a sense of emotional well-being and empowerment; they develop criticality and agency, becoming independent learners. Overall, instead of being skeptical about translanguaging, educators should learn more about it and try it out with their students.

Seltzer:

Whether or not people are “convinced” of translanguaging pedagogy, translanguaging is occurring in any classroom where bilingual people are learning. The question then becomes, do we, as teachers, take it up or not? Do we leverage it for learning or not? If teachers’ answer to those questions is “no,” then I believe they miss an opportunity to support students academically and socio-emotionally since we know that students’ language practices are closely tied to their identities. But if the answer is “yes,” then translanguaging pedagogy can help teachers provide those opportunities in well-supported, engaging ways that also align with standards and other state- and school-based requirements.

3. What do you think a teacher’s greatest challenge is to implementing a translanguaging pedagogy in their classrooms?

Galante:

The first challenge is for teachers to challenge their own mindsets. Once teachers understand the benefits that translanguaging can have among their students, it is easier to implement change. Another challenge is teachers’ beliefs: They may be resistant in implementing translanguaging because they fear their students are not going to receive it well. The opposite often happens and teachers are always surprised. However, with any change, whether it is translanguaging or not, the challenges are often related to having to convince parents, school principals and stakeholders. I currently prepare language teachers who work in schools where translanguaging is not supported by policy or the administration and what I often tell teachers is to try to implement translanguaging gradually and let the benefits emerge. When stakeholders notice the benefits in their own school classrooms, they often become more open to it.

Aghai:

The first challenge for educators is recognizing their own monolingual ideologies and adopting a translanguaging lens. Studies have shown that even bi/multilingual teachers who have already studied and taught different languages could still have monolingual ideologies. Second, a school, institution, or language program that supports monolingual ideologies or follows written or unwritten monolingual policies, makes it impossible for educators to adopt translanguaging as a pedagogy. Next, if the educators teach at K-12 settings, parents may be skeptical of the schools’ translanguaging pedagogy. In other words, the parents’ own monolingual ideologies could prevent the school from adopting a translanguaging lens. Finally, if the language learners are adults and have monolingual language ideologies, they could challenge their teachers’ choice to implement translanguaging pedagogy.

Seltzer:

Though I truly believe that any teacher in any context could implement a translanguaging pedagogy, I think an unsupportive school administration or even fellow teachers could make it more difficult. When teachers work together, when administrators have teacher[s]’ backs, when teachers are empowered to engage in professional learning and implement changes, that’s when a translanguaging pedagogy can really take hold in a school community. That way when other challenges to implementing a translanguaging pedagogy arise -- standardized exams and other accountability measures, rigid district-level language policies, etc. -- a school community can support one another and adapt to (or resist!) those challenges collectively.

4. Can a translanguaging pedagogy be implemented in second language writing classrooms?

Seltzer:

Absolutely, it can be implemented in any kind of classroom. A translanguaging pedagogy is a framework, so teachers can take it up in ways that meet their instructional needs/contexts. In a writing context, for example, there could be linguistic flexibility in the process (i.e., brainstorming or pre-writing in the home language, doing peer editing using the home language, etc.) even if the product is rendered in English only. But I also push teachers to think about leveraging students’ translanguaging in their writing - we can communicate to students that drawing on their fluid languaging (and understandings of language) can elevate their writing in a new language.

Galante:

Translanguaging can be implemented in any discipline, including second language writing. Students can be encouraged to use all resources they have at different stages of the writing. For example, in creative writing, students can use all of their languages and blend them for dramatic/emotional purposes. If it’s a more traditional writing class, such as English Writing for Academic Purposes, students can compare genres in different languages (e.g., look at essays in English and Spanish and analyze similarities and difference[s] in structure at the sentence and paragraph levels); use sources from different languages in their writing; use postponing, or words and sentences in other languages so that the flow is not interrupted, and later in the editing process they can go back to English. These are only a few ways, and I’m sure students themselves will create other strategies of their own.

Aghai:

Translanguaging in the writing classroom should not be spontaneous but rather a strategic, planned, and deliberate occurrence. As long as writing teachers provide examples of translanguaging and allocate specific times for translanguaging, students will better understand when and how they could translanguage.

5. Finally, what advice would you give to a teacher that is skeptical or hesitant to allow students to use their home languages and full linguistic repertoire in the classroom?

Seltzer:

First, I would try to get the teacher to understand the source of that skepticism and hesitancy, because if that part is not understood then new “strategies” or approaches won’t necessarily make a difference. That’s why we emphasize a teacher’s stance as much as their practice. Then, I’d tell the teacher to start small. Tell students to turn and talk, but explicitly tell them they can do so using whatever language they want. Include translations of key vocabulary on a word wall. Include opportunities for students to use their home languages in group/collaborative work. Even these small steps can shift the culture of the classroom and communicate to students that all of who they are is important to their learning and to you, their teacher.

Galante:

First, teachers should remember that not allowing students to use their entire repertoire in the classroom is depriving them from opportunities to learn. Second, teachers can do their “own case study” in their classroom: Try one or two activities where translanguaging is used and later survey their students. Ask them what they thought about translanguaging and how it can help their learning. Third, try to observe student engagement and how they feel while using translanguaging. Many times teachers want to see test results as a proof of learning but they may oversee the emotional dimension of translanguaging. Finally, teachers can work together with students as collaborators in tasks rather than “the teacher.” When teachers and students collaboratively work to reach a common goal, the classroom environment becomes more fun.

Aghai:

I believe that lack of awareness among educators is the most important factor in preventing students from using their home language. One way to encourage the teachers is to make them aware of how much they utilize their own linguistics repertoire for sense-making when they learn a second language. Many language learners or even bilinguals are not aware that they are constantly making connections between their home language and the language being used in the mainstream classroom. Therefore, the first step is to attend workshops and trainings that enhance the teachers’ translingual awareness. The next step is to sit down with the students and observe their spontaneous translanguaging in the classroom. Teachers should be asked to make a list of when and why their students translanguage in the classroom and whether in those instances students benefited from translanguaging. Again, when teachers analyze their students’ translanguaging, they better understand the advantages of it. Translanguaging has always existed in the language classroom; therefore, teachers can choose to be actively involved in their students’ translanguaging by providing guidance and feedback or they could act as a passive observer and ignore their students’ translanguaging.

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