Translanguaging in a Chinese immersion classroom: an ecological examination of instructional discourses

Enacting culturally sustaining immersion pedagogy through SFL and translanguaging design

“…In other instances, he translanguaged to build or sustain community, such as when he shifted from French to English to say “High Five” to connect with Tasha. The findings from this study echo findings on translanguaging in other immersion/bilingual education contexts (e.g., Bengochea et al, 2018; Gort & Sembiante, 2015; Nikula & Moore, 2016; Zheng, 2019) and highlight the role of translanguaging in positioning students agentively in a culturally sustaining immersion pedagogy. As Ahmed noted, his language choices, informed by SFL, depended on “The purpose I want[ed] to achieve”; these purposes were shaped by his goal to teach language and content by positioning his students as agents in a culturally sustaining translanguaging space.…”

“…The findings from this study suggest that for language immersion teachers, like teachers in other contexts, knowledge of content and language integration alone is not enough; rather this knowledge must be enacted in ways that are culturally sustaining (e.g., Cavallaro & Sembiante, 2021; Harman & Khote, 2018; Harman, 2018; Mizell, 2021; Sembiante & Tian, 2021) and consider students' racialized identities in the language classroom (Anya, 2017, 2020). As Zheng (2019) described, immersion teachers need critical language awareness that develops their functional linguistic understanding and enables them and to scaffold content and language integration through culturally sustaining immersion pedagogies. Informed by the work in bilingual education on translanguaging design (Hamman, 2018; Tian, 2021; Wei, 2011), this critical language awareness enabled by SFL can be enhanced by integrating a culturally sustaining perspective with translanguaging pedagogies.…”

“…One exception is Nikula and Moore (2016), who examined translanguaging as a pedagogical resource for content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in Europe. Likewise, Zheng (2019) examined the use of the translanguaging in a one‐way Chinese immersion program, where the majority of students in the program are not exposed to the Chinese at home. Adopting an ecological perspective, the author documented how translanguaging enabled the teaching of both language and content through meaningful classroom discussion.…”

Minority language education: Reconciling the tensions of language revitalisation and the benefits of bilingualism

“…Indeed, translanguaging found its first use in the work of Williams (1994) who explored the potential benefits of switching language mode within the classroom setting. This work has been further developed in the Welsh context (Jones, 2017), but it has also been applied to a range of geographical locations including: New Zealand with te reo Māori and Samoan communities (Seals & Olsen‐Reeder, 2020); the US concerning Mandarin English (Zheng, 2021); the Basque country (Leonet et al, 2017); and, Panjabi complementary schooling in England (Creese & Blackledge, 2015).…”

“…Indeed, translanguaging found its first use in the work of Williams (1994) who explored the potential benefits of switching language mode within the classroom setting. This work has been further developed in the Welsh context (Jones, 2017), but it has also been applied to a range of geographical locations including: New Zealand with te reo Māori and Samoan communities (Seals & Olsen-Reeder, 2020); the US concerning Mandarin English (Zheng, 2021); the Basque country (Leonet et al, 2017); and, Panjabi complementary schooling in England (Creese & Blackledge, 2015). Baker (2011) argues that translanguaging has four potential key benefits which include: developing deeper understandings of the language; aiding the development of the weaker language; facilitating home-school links and co-operation; and, helping the integration of fluent speakers with early learners.…”