Going Beyond Translating with Translanguaging

Translanguaging may seem like a buzz word lately, but I promise you it's not! According to the EAL Journal, it can be a very natural way for multilingual people to communicate – but as a focus of research it emerged in the 1980s in Bangor, north Wales.

Translanguaging may also seem like a fancy word for translating, but it's not that either! So what is it? I'm fortunate to be digging in to this work with my current and new district. Here's a little of the what, the why, and some of the how to get you started.

The What
According to Rooted in Strength: Using Translanguaging to Grow Multilingual Readers and Writers by Cecilia Espinosa and Laura Asecnzi-Moreno, “Translanguaging is a potent tool for constructing meaning, for thinking, for authentic communication and expression; it is not simply a scaffold to support students who are not yet fluent in English. It allows students to capitalize on their linguistic repertoire without rigid language boundaries.”

Sure, we can use our student's first language, or L1, as a scaffold, especially if they are newcomers or emerging students. But who says we have to stop allowing the native language when they get to a certain proficiency level? If we continue to capitalize and use their L1 as an asset in the classroom, it will not only show students that we value their language, but it will also assist in comprehension of the content and strengthen the use of their L1 as they use it with new academic language. We never want use of their L1 to stop; we want them to continue to grow that language too to become fully bilingual citizens.

The Why
In What is Translanguaging, the EAL Journal states that "we are working with students to explore concepts, add to their knowledge, make connections between ideas and to help them make their voices heard by others." This is our why! So you can see that translanguaging is not just translating, it is way more than that. It involves that translanguaging knowledge lens for when we are constructing and carrying out our instruction for our Multilingual Learners, or English Learners. It is a belief system and something to be fully embraced as we learn and grow with our students, their families, and our communities.

The How
Allowing students to use Google Translate could be part of translanguaging, but let's look a little deeper at some examples. Check out more examples from Translanguaging in Curriculum and Instruction: A CUNY NYSIEB Guide for Educators by Sarah Hesson, Kate Seltzer, and Heather H. Woodley.

• Students discussing content with their classmates using their home language in a think-pair-share, then sharing their discussion in their home language and English for whole-group discussion.
• Students completing extended writing tasks in their home language and using a bilingual dictionary or Google translate to translate to English.
• The teacher annotating content and language objectives in multiple languages for students to make connections for their learning. I try to provide annotated objectives with visuals with most of my lesson plans in my monthly lesson plan membership, My MLL Mentor!
• Using multiple languages in the classroom space, such as on bulletin boards, posters, and word walls.
• Bringing in guest speakers from the community that speaks the home language to talk about content in the classroom.

Language and culture go hand in hand, so it makes sense that multilingual classrooms, especially in newcomer ones, should embrace translanguaging strategies. There are many more ways to demonstrate translanguaging inside of the classroom and out. What are some you have used? Comment below to share!

Language and culture go hand in hand, so it makes sense that multilingual classrooms, especially in newcomer ones, should embrace translanguaging strategies. There are many more ways to demonstrate translanguaging inside of the classroom and out. What are some you have used? Comment below to share!