Going Beyond Monolingual Communication

The opportunity for a student to develop skills in a language other than their home language should not be limited to the time they spend in a foreign or world language class. Instead, students should have the chance to expand their language proficiency regardless of what class they are in—whether that is a class in mathematics, social studies, science, or another discipline. Language and content go hand in hand and cannot be separated. Language is the vehicle by which content knowledge is gained, and the vast number of languages spoken around the globe represent the many pathways through which multilingual students can develop that knowledge. When a classroom features students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, learning opportunities for content and language are enhanced. The existing knowledge, experience, and linguistic capabilities that multilingual learners possess are assets that can benefit all students in the class. But for these benefits to be fully realized, educators must adopt a teaching framework that integrates language with content instruction.

For educators who themselves may not be multilingual, or who do not have any specialized training in teaching a world language, it can be challenging to adopt an instructional practice that integrates content with a language they are not familiar with. These educators may instead choose a monolingual approach where English is the dominant language and where students’ home languages are treated as an obstacle to be overcome rather than as a valuable resource to be leveraged in the classroom. This type of “English only” instructional ideology can create a barrier that not only impedes multilingual learners from acquiring knowledge of new subject content but stops them from improving their skills in a second language. To avoid the risk of creating such barriers, monolingual educators must be open to the idea that they are co-learners with their students in building their understanding of a second language. As teachers, they must see that their primary role is to tap into the rich linguistic resources that their multilingual learners bring to the classroom. Sujin Kim, associate professor in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Education and Foreign Language Education Programs within the School of Education at George Mason University, recently shared her thoughts on how teachers can honor the full potential of multilingual learners through a teaching practice known as translanguaging.

Translanguaging

Translanguaging is a teaching approach that allows students to draw from their home language and the English skills they possess to learn both content and language simultaneously. The concept of translanguaging recognizes that emergent multilingual learners have a linguistic repertoire or language system they can use to accomplish this objective. When implemented in the classroom, a translanguaging strategy allows students to use language in a way they are most comfortable with and in a manner that allows them to effectively converse and express their ideas about the content presented in class. This practice offers an alternative to the more rigid “separatist” approach that calls for content to be learned and discussed exclusively using one language or another. Translanguaging eliminates this “monolingual mindset” allowing multilingual learners to instead utilize the features of multiple languages from their linguistic repertoire as they build content knowledge. For example, an emergent multilingual learner could read a story in their home language and discuss it with one of their peers using their learned English skills. This allows the student to reinforce both content understanding and language literacy.

All languages share certain similarities.

One of the principles of translanguaging is the belief that all languages are connected and that words and phrases in different languages share universal similarities that can be recognized and processed cognitively. Emergent multilingual learners can use words and phrases interchangeably in different languages to communicate meaningfully and intentionally. Some experts suggest that doing so increases the language acquisition capacity of emergent multilingual learners. The practice of translanguaging also honors the cultural background and diversity of multilingual learners, and this can go a long way in facilitating a classroom atmosphere that is inclusive and more welcoming.

Tips on How to Implement Translanguaging in the Classroom

There are several ways in which a teacher can practice translanguaging in their classroom. First, common items in the classroom can be labeled in different languages as a way to help students build their vocabulary. In addition, books and other reading materials in the classroom can be made available to students in different languages. The reading materials selected can feature story lines and characters that share similar backgrounds and experiences as the students in the class, thus making these materials more relevant to the students. Teachers can also encourage their students to engage with their peers in their home language when brainstorming ideas on content that is presented in English. In this way, students can help one another with reinforcing language acquisition skills.

Multimodal Approaches to Translanguaging

Another important strategy for implementing translanguaging in the classroom involves the use of multimodal approaches for demonstrating knowledge. For example, multilingual learners in a science class could create an infographic containing terminology in different languages along with illustrations and photos. An infographic of this type would be a multilingual representation of the science topic being addressed. This is an example of a multimodal translanguaging activity that supports language and literacy development in multilingual learners while also enhancing their content area knowledge of science.

To learn more about degree offerings in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Education or Foreign Language Education Program within the School of Education at George Mason University, please visit the program websites.