Inviting World Languages to the Translanguaging Table

Megan Frate, OWLA Membership Chair
Spanish Teacher, Westerville City Schools

We all know the golden rule: maintain the target language 90% of the time during instruction. Some teachers take this immersive approach with admirable confidence and careful implementation. Others ebb and flow with their target language use in class, navigating the tension between “pure” immersion and the reality of the room.  

But how do other language classrooms operate? In many bilingual schools and English Language Learning spaces, teachers have moved away from strict language separation and adopted translanguaging practices in their classrooms.

Translanguaging is the process by which multilingual speakers use their full linguistic repertoire for the purpose of learning, communicating, and making sense of the world (Garcia et al., 2016). This sometimes gets mixed up with code-switching, literally switching back and forth between languages, or with Spanglish, which combines Spanish and English. Translanguaging is deeper; it recognizes that a person’s languages aren’t stored in separate “boxes,” but instead function as one fluid system. Additionally, according to Professor Ofelia Garcia, there is a second definition of translanguaging as a “pedagogical approach whereby teachers build bridges from these language practices and the language practices desired in formal school settings.”    

This month, I challenge you to consider what translanguaging could look like in your classroom. This is not to suggest that educators take short cuts or even lighten up on target language instruction. Rather, reflect on why this approach is thriving in certain learning spaces and growing in popularity in academia. Is there anything here that would fit into a world language classroom? Or perhaps there is something that you are already doing.

Dr. Garcia outlines the purpose of translanguaging in the book The Translanguaging Classroom: Leveraging Student Bilingualism for Learning. It includes: 

• Multimodal supports for students as they engage with and comprehend complex content and texts
• Providing opportunities for students to develop academic language by bridging linguistic practices
• Making space for students’ bilingualism and “ways of knowing”
• Supporting students’ bilingual identities and socioemotional development
• Pointing out that regardless of the medium of the classroom, students still think and process in their L1

An example of translanguaging in a world language classroom may look like providing a safe space for students to share their own expertise when they notice some Spanish and Arabic words are similar (naranja versus naranj).  Taking a moment to allow students to make linguistic connections allows their identity to become part of the world language classroom. It also shifts the knowledge from being held solely by the teacher and centers students as experts in this process they are already a part of. Affirming identity and sharing responsibility are powerful ways to boost investment in the learning process.  

Here is another example: this year, ahead of Bad Bunny’s half time show, we had a Spanish-only lesson on Puerto Rico. We read a short biography about Bad Bunny and learned some simple facts about the island, all in the target language. The next day, I mixed English into the lesson so that we could go deeper into the complexities of gentrification. On day three, we were back to the target language, listening to “Turista” and “Debí tirar más fotos.” Because we had used translanguaging to tackle the heavy social context, students gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for the message behind the songs.  

I understand why ACTFL aims for 90% target language use; it mirrors how learners naturally acquire their first language. However, if we prioritize the quantity of language used, we may overlook the quality of language used. And more importantly, we risk missing the very connections that make language learning meaningful. 

Language teaching should not come at the cost of equity or identity. By inviting translanguaging into our classrooms, we are teaching more than a language; we are teaching human beings. We should not measure success by the minutes spent in the target language, but rather by the community we build along the way. 

Sources:

García, O., Ibarra Johnson, S., Seltzer, K., & Valdés, G. (2016). The translanguaging classroom: Leveraging student bilingualism for learning. Caslon.