Teachers’ Beliefs about Translanguaging: Effects of Language Skills and Instructional Settings

Bruce Torff,Audrey Figueroa Murphy

doi:10.22158/wjer.v8n1p107

Abstract

Experimental research was conducted to examine teachers’ beliefs about classroom activities involving translanguaging, a pedagogical practice in which students use both their home language and second language to communicate, learn academic content, and develop oral and literacy skills in both languages. Teachers (n = 249) completed a survey to rate the effectiveness of translanguaging in general and specifically for students who vary in L1 and L2 proficiency (in this research, Spanish and English). Participants were randomly assigned to respond concerning one of four instructional settings: Bilingual Education (BE), Dual Language (DL), General Education (GE), and English as a Second Language (ESL). In general, translanguaging was viewed as more effective when students’ Spanish skills are strong, although strong English skills also were seen to make it more effective to a lesser extent. Teachers rated translanguaging as generally more effective in DL and BE, likely because these settings explicitly leverage students’ home-language skills. Classroom practices based on these beliefs may exacerbate achievement gaps between high- and low-proficiency populations, by directing the richness of the home language and culture disproportionately to high-proficiency students. Teacher-education practices are needed emphasizing translanguaging for all students regardless of home-language proficiency.

Highlights

Teachers encounter numerous challenges in today’s classrooms, including increasing numbers of students for whom the instructional language is a second language (Besterman, Ernst, & Williams, 2018; Calderón, Slavin, & Sanchez, 2011; National Center for Education Statistics, 2019; Pereira & de Oliviera, 2015; U.S DOE & U.S DOJ, 2015)
Continuous demographic variables included age, years of teaching experience, years in school administration, years teaching in Bilingual Education (BE) settings, years teaching in Dual Language (DL) settings, years teaching in General Education (GE) settings, and years teaching in English as a Second Language (ESL)
These findings show that translanguaging was viewed as more effective when Spanish skills are strong, strong English skills are helpful

Summary

Introduction

Teachers encounter numerous challenges in today’s classrooms, including increasing numbers of students for whom the instructional language is a second language (Besterman, Ernst, & Williams, 2018; Calderón, Slavin, & Sanchez, 2011; National Center for Education Statistics, 2019; Pereira & de Oliviera, 2015; U.S DOE & U.S DOJ, 2015). A shift in thinking has emerged, whereby the home language is used to promote second-language proficiency and teach academic content in bilingual classrooms, and in ESL and general-education settings, which have traditionally not leveraged students’ home language skills This practice has been described as translanguaging (Ascenzi-Moreno, 2018; Childs, 2016; DeCosta et al, 2017; Garcia, 2009; Garcia & Wei, 2014). It seems plausible that teacher beliefs about the effectiveness of translanguaging depend upon various factors, including (1) the extent of students’ home- and second-language skills, and (2) the instructional setting in which these skills are implemented (bilingual education, dual language, general education, ESL) These two sets of factors are examined in the research reported in this article. The article refers to students who are candidates for translanguaging as “English Language Learners” (ELLs), but this student population has been described using other terms such as “Emergent Bilinguals” (EBs) and “Multilingual Learners” (MLLs)

Methods

Results

Conclusion