Translanguaging practices in multilingual English language classrooms: Pedagogical implications and learner outcomes

Abstract

The rising number of multilingual students in English classrooms calls for pedagogical change from monolingual to inclusive teaching practices. Translanguaging, where the students draw on all their linguistic repertoire to make meaning, has been found to potentially enhance student engagement and understanding. This research investigates the pedagogical potential of translanguaging in multilingual English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, with emphasis on the engagement and performance of the students. Using a quantitative repeated-measures design, the research enrolled 50 secondary-level students with various linguistic backgrounds who went through a six-week teaching program involving the use of translanguaging strategies. Data collection involved observational checklists, comprehension exercises, and audio-recorded classroom discussions, with statistical analysis using the Friedman test. Findings revealed that the use of translanguaging facilitated the engagement and understanding of the students, but the statistically significant difference in the performances across the sessions was not found. The results point towards the potential of translanguaging as a force that ensures a stable and inclusive learning environment where the students could be active participants without affecting the learning of the language, English. The research highlights the need for systematic translanguaging pedagogies that counter monolingual ideologies and make the multilingual capability possible. Further research must be conducted to determine the long-term implications and larger education settings to better recognise the contribution of the concept of translanguaging towards EFL teaching.