Translanguaging: Using language as a unitary meaning-making system. Bilinguals select features from their entire language repertoire to communicate.
Bilinguals inherently use a blend of languages rather than separate named languages.
Perspectives on Language
External Societal Perspective: Recognizes named languages (e.g., English, Spanish) with their standardized conventions related to nation-states and schools.
Internal Perspective of Speaker: Views language as a unified system reflecting cultural and linguistic practices.
Emphasis should be on the internal perspective of a bilingual speaker for effective education.
Concepts: Multilingualism and Plurilingualism
Multilingualism: Dominant language (L1) followed by L2, L3, etc., in a hierarchical manner.
Plurilingualism: Better than multilingualism but still focuses on partial competence in multiple languages, maintaining some hierarchy.
Translanguaging
Eliminates language hierarchies.
Focuses on the speaker's full linguistic repertoire without distinguishing L1, L2, etc.
Classroom Implementation
Recognizes and validates students' unitary linguistic system.
Allows students to use their full linguistic repertoire, not just named languages.
Reflects bilingual community practices, normalizing translanguaging as opposed to traditional school norms.
Importance of Translanguaging
Promotes social justice and equity by fully mobilizing a bilingual child's repertoire for learning and assessment.
Avoids unfair comparisons between monolingual and bilingual students by addressing the full linguistic abilities of bilingual students.
Components of Translanguaging Classroom
Stance: Teachers' beliefs and attitudes are crucial. Must believe in the unified bilingual voice and the transformative potential of translanguaging.
Design: Classroom design should facilitate the use of students' full linguistic repertoires.
Shift: Flexibility in teaching methods to accommodate translanguaging as needed.
Beliefs in Translanguaging
Go beyond named languages to construct a unitary bilingual voice.
Transform students' subjectivity and sense of self, not just scaffold learning.
Recognize the complex, dynamic identity of bilingual students.
Integrate new language features into the students' complete linguistic repertoire.
Final Thoughts
Translanguaging involves dwelling in linguistic and cultural borderlands, addressing power differentials using language in a unified, person-centered manner.
It aims to transcend traditional language barriers, providing a full, equitable educational experience for bilingual students.