What is Translanguaging?
‘Translanguaging’ – the use of different languages together – can be a powerful tool for learning … but it can also go against the grain for language
Introduction to Translanguaging ‘Translanguaging’ – the use of different languages together – can be a powerful tool for learning … but it can also go against the grain for language teachers who are used to supporting learners to master the intricacies of a single language. In this post, we ask what the research tells us about ‘translanguaging’ and how it can be used to support EAL learners in the classroom. Translanguaging is the act performed by bilinguals of accessing different linguistic features or various modes of what are described as autonomous languages, to maximise communicative potential. - Ofelia García (2009: 140) Translanguaging is about communication, not about language itself. There are times when we need to be language teachers, focusing on accuracy in English so that our learners can pass exams and be taken as proficient speakers in wider society. Much of the time, though, we are working with students to explore concepts, add to their knowledge, make connections between …