"Translanguaging in ECE, a project designed to create safe environments where children can feel proud of their identity, express their ideas in multilingual and multimodal ways while making meaning of their world.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is translanguaging similar to mixing languages?
Even though code-mixing and code-switching are included in the translanguaging pedagogy, it moves beyond that. It is also an invitation to use children’s whole repertoire (cultural background, multiliteracies, multimodalities, etc).
Do teachers need to be bilingual or multilingual to implement a translanguaging approach?
This is a common fear that most teachers face when trying to implement a translanguaging approach. Translanguaging is an invitation for teachers to think outside the box and focus on the meaningful learning process that students are going through while reaching a targeted goal. It is not necessary for teachers to be multilingual or bilingual, because in the end, they will continue teaching their target language, but they are going to be open to including other languages in the class as scaffolding tools for the acquisition of new languages.
How do power hierarchies impact the use of translanguaging in the classroom?
Unfortunately, they knock it out! But, I consider that a change should be started inside the classrooms, it will leverage each student’s potential and I am sure that soon or later globalization and migration will force the world to move into a more holistic, inclusive, and open perspective to learn and assess language learning processes.
Is translanguaging just a language tendency or is it going to transcend?
As research shows, translanguaging is supporting students in shaping their identity and relating in a diverse and interconnected world. Globalization will continue to rise and the number of multilingual families will grow during the next years, therefore, the need to communicate with people from different backgrounds will become an asset. Translanguaging offers a solution for that challenge and it connects parents and schools in ways we have never imagined before. So this approach is here to stay, to be explored, and to transcend in our world.