Beyond the English Box: Constructing and Communicating Knowledge Through Translingual Practices in the Higher Education Classroom

Abstract

As part of the growing trend of internationalization in higher education, new forms of linguistic practices are recently emerging in diverse contexts. However, such practices are often obscured by English medium instruction (EMI) policies, neglecting the role of other languages, semiotic resources, and modalities in the construction and communication of knowledge. Building on an expanded framework of language policy, in this study I take a Btrans-^approach to reconceptualize the BE^in EMI. Specifically, the participants of this study include 18 university lecturers from a range of disciplinary backgrounds. Data was collected over a 6-month period through classroom observations and semistructured interviews. The findings show that translingual practices were not uncommon for a range of epistemological, pedagogical, and social purposes, but at the same time significantly constrained by monolingual ideologies that permeate the policy process. To open up translanguaging spaces in the higher education classroom, the study suggests to move current EMI policies from an English-only focus toward multilingual and translingual awareness. Instead of determining the language of instruction a priori, it is more important to focus on ways to become more linguistically aware and ecologically oriented, acknowledging the process of meaning-making as situated, holistic, and embodied.

Translanguaging at a Saudi University: discrepancy between English language teachers’ attitudes and self-reported pedagogical practices

“…Grounded on this interpretation, translanguaging thusly views the deployment of multimodal communicative resources such as, to name a few, posture, objects, visual cues, gestures, gazes, facial expressions, and even emojis in technological interactions as a natural and integral form of the dynamic flow of human communication. This is well exemplified in Chang's (2019) study which demonstrated how 18 lecturers in a Taiwanese EMI university "used different languages (e.g., English, Chinese, and Taiwanese), modalities (e.g., PowerPoint slide, videos, and textbooks), and semiotic resources (e.g., numbers) in the process of teaching and learning" (p. 36). The following section moves to shed light on the potential of tanslanguaging as an educational practice in the TESOL field.…”

‘English-only’ English medium instruction: Mixed views in Thai and Vietnamese higher education

“…However, although participants reported translanguaging practices, they did not appear to embrace a translanguaging ideology (Chang, 2019). English-only was desired by students to create 'immersion' (see Sahan & Rose, 2021), and by teachers because it is what they are 'paid' to do (see Kirkpatrick, 2014).…”

Efl Lecturers’ Practice, Perception, and Evaluation of English as the Medium of Instruction in Tertiary Education

“…The application of EMI in the teaching and learning process in non-Englishspeaking countries is still an intriguing topic nowadays (Chang, 2019;Goodman, 2014;Salahshour et al, 2013;Yuan et al, 2020). Although using English as the target language continues to cause many challenges in various nations, the policy of applying EMI is still seen to be able to greatly motivate both educators and students to grasp English literacy (Chang, 2019;Floris, 2014).…”