THE IDENTITY TEXTS PROJECT
TRANSLANGUAGING
The term translanguaging means using aspects of different languages alongside each other when communicating or creating texts. (Creese & Blackledge, 2015; Garcia, 2009; Williams, 1996)
Earlier conceptions of bilingual language use such as ‘code switching’ position bilinguals as choosing to privilege the use of separate linguistic systems in particular contexts (Velasco and Garcia, 2014, p.7)
Translanguaging differs from earlier conceptions because it describes the multilingual practices of bilingual speakers as the starting point and allows flexible bilingualism to operate without “clear boundaries” and to be positioned “at the heart of the interaction” (Blackledge & Creese, 2010, p. 22).
Rather than a strategy, translanguaging is a “framework for conceptualising the education of bilinguals as a democratic endeavour for social justice” (Garcia, 2009).
Teaching strategies that include translanguaging, encourage the use of two or more languages together as needed, and when desired.
Research shows that this makes sense given the knowledge base of skills which exists across languages.
Research has demonstrated that translanguaging practices can support:
Language development including metalinguistic awareness and cross-linguistic flexibility (Garcia-Mateus & Palmer, 2017; Cenoz, 2017)
Greater language development in the second language (L2) (Allard, 2017) or dialect (Eades, 2013). F
Possibilities for developing proficiency in negotiating language use resulting in a strengthening of metalinguistic awareness (Cenoz, 2017).
Students both academically and socially as well as supporting teachers to develop a transformative pedagogy that is truly inclusive. (Cummins, 2000; Skutnabb-Kangas, 2013).
Well-being as it confirms the equal value of all linguistic resources and gives agency to individuals to choose when and where to deploy their skills (Alamillo et al., 2016; Fielding, 2016; Rosiers et al., 2018).
Translanguaging practices should therefore not be equated with a deficit in linguistic, cognitive or social capacities (Li Wei, 2014) but rather as exemplifying the high level of skill of multilingual or transnational students (Dutton & Rushton, 2020, in press).