Reflecting on translanguaging in multilingual classrooms: Harnessing the power of poetry and photography

Abstract

IntroductionStudents' humanity-its existence and expansion-is at heart of a humanising pedagogy. All students and all teachers are human beings and equal in their humanity. We are all in process of becoming. The purposes of education are to extend this humanity through opportunities for creativity, imagination, and interaction with others and world (Zinn & Rodgers, 2012, p. 87).In this article, I argue that translanguaging can be used as a pedagogical tool in multilingual classrooms to bridge communication in nuanced and bring about a more humanising experience for both learners and teachers. Translanguaging as a structured metacognitive language process enables epistemological access (Heugh, 2015) and crafting of sociocultural identities (Garcia & Wei, 2015).Lack of acceptance of languages and ways of knowing of learners can result in dehumanising experiences in classrooms (Salazar, 2013, p. 121) as certain children within a classroom are often viewed in a negative light (Comber & Kamler, 2004; Hertzog, 2011; Hornberger, 2002). Comber and Kamler (2004, p. 293) emphasised how the poor, wilful, disabled, non-English speaking, slow, bottom 10% have been cast as deficient and insufficient. Learners who are not skilled in dominant language of classroom appear to be seen as less able and less worthy. When treasures of language and culture are forced to remain outside classroom door, this can result in a sense of humiliation at rejection of vital aspects of being human (Salazar, 2013, p. 121).BackgroundThis research emerges out of my participation-as teacher educator-in a humanising pedagogy reflection process undertaken in 2011 at South African university where I am employed. Students and staff were invited to take part in various activities to think and learn about what a humanising pedagogy might mean for them and institution (Zinn & Rodgers, 2012). The participants' stories were woven with understandings of humanising work and thinking (Freire, 1972, 2005). The Statements of Awareness developed from process provided impetus for further exploration and inquiry (Zinn & Rodgers, 2012, p. 84).The various insights regarding concept of a humanising pedagogy emerging during this process extended my thinking about my own classroom and classrooms of student teachers I teach. The work of Bartolome (1994), Huerta (2011), Renner, Brown, Stiens, and Burton (2010), and Salazar (2008, 2010, 2013) continues to provide a lens to consider teaching and learning practices. Visits to primary school classrooms and subsequent reflections have left me with uneasy sense that many learners appear to be othered and dehumanised. Some of classrooms where our student teachers learn to teach are environments that seem to privilege certain children and subordinate others. In many instances, I sensed a disconnect between dominant language of classroom and home language of learners, confirming assertions of Mda (2004) and Probyn (2001) that primary language of learners is often not tolerated and use of this language in classroom and on playground is frequently forbidden.In this article, complex realities of primary school classrooms are considered. The term, Home Language (capitalised) will be used to refer to a level of teaching, while use of home language will contain an understanding of language coming from home, as opposed to language used predominantly at school for teaching. The terms main language and mother tongue will be used as synonyms for home language to denote a primary or strong language that child acquires in home from an early age.Language in South African Schooling ContextSouth Africa has multifarious classroom language situations. Schools have to organise learning and teaching at a minimum of two language levels. …