In my last post, I talked about the importance of avoiding consistent translations. This topic tends to be a source of debate as people wonder where translanguaging fits into the conversation.  Therefore, also in my last article, I promised that my next piece would be about translanguaging. In this article, we will discuss the difference between constant translations and translanguaging.

Translanguaging is a powerful instructional strategy that allows the multilingual speaker to use all their linguistic repertoire. In other words, students are encouraged to use everything they know in every language that they know. Research demonstrates that individual monolingual entities do not live within the multilingual brain. For instance, I speak Tamil, English, and Spanish; however, there are not three monolingual beings inside my brain. In fact, at any given moment, I am using all three languages and the cultures and knowledge embedded within them to negotiate thoughts and meaning. This claim is not to negate the fact that the language that dominates may depend upon circumstances and topic. For instance, when I am speaking in English, my thoughts tend to flow in English, but as any multilingual individual will attest, the second a word escapes me, words in my other languages emerge. Translanguaging takes advantage of this phenomenon. 

Translanguaging occurs naturally in bilingual households. Students who make statements such as, “ “Mi broder me empuchó ayer,” where the word broder was derived from the English word brother but pronounced with an accent derived from Spanish and empuchó was derived from the English word push but conjugated with Spanish grammar are translanguaging. This is a normal aspect of their language variety and does not make their language any less correct than standard Spanish or English. Many of our simultaneous bilinguals, or students who learn two languages before the age of five, usually have bilingualism as their first language rather than either of the two languages encompassed in their language variety. By not allowing students to translanguage, students are placed at a pedagogical disadvantage compared to their monolingual English-speaking peers.

One way to allow students to use their natural language is for the teacher to allow their students to grapple with the material using all their linguistic repertoire while the teacher provides information in the language of instruction using appropriate scaffolds. Students then attempt to provide the output in the language of instruction with the aid of appropriate support. Teachers may also allow the students to use their entire linguistic repertoire while as instructors, they recast or repeat the statement(s) in the language of instruction. When teachers recast, they of course must be careful not to give the impression that the translanguaging is inherently wrong. Depending upon the child and time in the United States or in the classroom, the teacher may or may not ask for students to repeat the recasted statement.

On the other hand, pedagogical translanguaging is the intentional and planned use of multiple languages in the classroom to support learning the language of instruction and to help build metalinguistic awareness that can in turn support students in learning multiple languages. All multilingual programs from English as a Second Language (ESL) to Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) to World Languages (WL) can use pedagogical translanguaging to support student learning.  Here are five examples of pedagogical translanguaging strategies that you may try in your classroom.

1. Introduction in the Language Other Than English (LOTE) – In English-centered classrooms, students may read a short passage in their home language to build background knowledge and develop vocabulary. They then engage with the unit in English using scaffolds and supports in order to access the material. Similarly, in a DLBE classroom, the unit may begin in one language but due to the language allocation plan, students may switch after two or six weeks and continue the unit in the other language. As long as the lessons are not repeated, the learning from the first language supports the second language and vice versa.
2. Text Engineering – Students in all multilingual classrooms may receive text that teachers have text engineered.  Text engineering should primarily consist of chunking the text, adding headings and visuals, and providing easy to understand definitions in the language of instruction. In English-centered classrooms, teachers may also add cognates and select translations throughout the text for students who need the support. In DLBE classrooms, cognates and translations will be part of the bridge.
3. Identify Cognates – Students in all multilingual programs can benefit from learning to identify cognates. Cognates are words that are similar in two or more languages such as edifice in English and edificio in Spanish. While it may seem obvious that students would use cognates to help them navigate both their languages, especially when languages share substantial similarities, students benefit from instruction in how to identify them. Keeping an ongoing chart of cognates during class and analyzing cognates during the simple bridge in the DLBE classroom are both ways to keep a focus on cognates.
4. Identify Affixes – Especially many Latin-based languages have affixes that can help students identify words across languages.  The suffix, -tion often becomes ión in Spanish and -ão in Portuguese. Studying affixes can help students pick up both English and LOTEs faster than otherwise.
5. Simple Bridge – The simple bridge, used mostly in DLBE classrooms, is a student-driven strategy that takes place after the summative evaluation in the language of instruction. It consists of bridging vocabulary and making cross-linguistic connections across languages. For instance, students may focus on adjective-noun order, phonetic and orthographic differences, or mechanics such as capitalization. The simple bridge is often followed by a subsequent lesson in the language that was not used for instruction..

These are just a few examples of pedagogical translanguaging.  I cover many more and go into greater detail in my book, Puzzle Pieces, coming out this fall.

But returning to the debate between translations and translanguaging, it is also important to highlight what translanguaging is not.  Translanguaging is neither consistent translations nor haphazard use of language.  Consistent translanguaging does not encourage the learning of the language of instruction, whether the language of instruction is English or a LOTE. The reason is quite simple. Everything in nature follows the easiest path, and we humans are no different.  If a student expects the instruction to be translated to an easier language, they have no incentive to grapple with the new language. Similarly, haphazard use of language on the part of adults does not give rise to fluency in either language. 

All in all, translanguaging on the part of the adult must be intentional with a pedagogical purpose. And the use of translanguaging for students should be thoughtful so that it encourages learning. Done well, translanguaging can enhance students’ learning in all the languages available to them.