Teacher–researcher collaborative development of critical (trans)languaging awareness through leveraging linguistic strengths

Abstract

This study explores the collaborative process that two Korean–English and one Spanish–English bilingual Early Head Start family childcare educators, two instructional coaches, and the author engaged in as they co-created intentional bilingual pedagogical approaches to support young emergent bilinguals and co-develop critical (trans)languaging awareness. Data included participant and non-participant observations; field notes; debriefing sessions between the teachers and the author, and instructional coaches and the author; informal interviews with teachers; and two Saturday meet-ups with all participants and the author. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify salient themes in the creation and implementation of practices and pedagogies that leveraged both teachers’ and children’s languaging practices as we deepened our critical language awareness. The design-based collaborative approach that involved co-learning, co-planning, and co-shifting supported our focus on critical language use, trial of different (trans)languaging practices that transgressed English hegemony, and decision-making around how to best leverage everyone’s linguistic strengths in support of children’s developing bilingualism.