Abstract
This article explores the concept of translanguaging and its pedagogical implications. Specifically, I discuss how pedagogical translanguaging can be implemented in the teaching of English in Norway in light of the revised English curriculum presented in November 2019. I examine how the new English curriculum requires English teachers to value multilingualism as a resource and include students’ complete linguistic repertoire in their teaching of English. In 2018, researchers responded positively to the proposal for a revised English curriculum emphasising multilingualism, while teachers expressed that they did not understand the proposed competence aims involving students’ linguistic backgrounds. Despite teachers’ reservations, the final version presented in November 2019 continues to emphasise the inclusion of students’ multilingual resources as part of the subject’s “core elements” and competence aims. To address the issues raised by teachers, I explore how teachers can meet these requirements through pedagogical translanguaging. I present five facets of pedagogical translanguaging which can contribute to meet the requirements in the revised English curriculum: (1) raising students’ awareness of multilingualism, (2) appreciating linguistic diversity and positioning students as competent multilinguals, (3) encouraging students to compare English with other languages in their linguistic repertoires, (4) using literature that includes translanguaging as a teaching resource and (5) implementing tasks that require students to draw on their complete linguistic repertoires.
Highlights
As Norwegian classrooms are becoming more linguistically diverse, English teaching should adapt to this reality
Researchers examining multilingual English teaching in Norway have discovered that pre-service teachers are poorly prepared to teach English to multilingual students (Šurkalović, 2014), that in-service English teachers feel unprepared to teach multilingual students (Dahl & Krulatz, 2016; Krulatz & Torgersen, 2016) and that English teaching in multilingual classrooms is not differentiated based on students’ language backgrounds (Burner & Carlsen, 2019; Iversen, 2017)
I make a case for pedagogical translanguaging as an approach to create inclusive classrooms for the 21st century, where all students – regardless of linguistic background – can draw on a wider repertoire of their linguistic resources in their English language learning
Summary
As Norwegian classrooms are becoming more linguistically diverse, English teaching should adapt to this reality. I make a case for pedagogical translanguaging as an approach to create inclusive classrooms for the 21st century, where all students – regardless of linguistic background – can draw on a wider repertoire of their linguistic resources in their English language learning. Much of its popularity among researchers and teachers alike might be due to its inclusive approach to language education, which may have transformative potential for schools and society (García & Li Wei, 2014). I first elaborate on the meaning of translanguaging before presenting the concept of pedagogical translanguaging and discussing how multilingual students can deploy translanguaging strategies when learning English. I review the revised English curriculum (Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training, 2019) and discuss how teachers can implement pedagogical translanguaging to meet the requirements in the proposed curriculum
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