Translanguaging for critical multilingual language awareness: preparing teacher candidates to support multilingual learners in classrooms

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study brings together translanguaging and critical multilingual language awareness (CMLA) (García, 2015, 2017) to examine how teacher candidates (TCs) prepare to support multilingual learners in elementary classrooms. Data was drawn from four TCs in a teacher education course on supporting multilingual learners in Ontario, Canada. Research questions guiding this study were: (1) What are TCs’ stances toward translanguaging, and what factors shape their developing translanguaging stance? (2) How do TCs plan for translanguaging in their lessons? (3) What are the challenges/limitations to TCs’ planning for translanguaging? Data sources, which included TCs’ unit and lesson plans, course assignments, reflections, and interviews were analyzed deductively to identify themes related to their translanguaging stance, and how they planned for translanguaging in their coursework. The findings demonstrate that TCs’ language learning experiences, challenges and identities were factors that shaped their developing translanguaging stance. TCs incorporated many translanguaging strategies and resources to support learners’ socioemotional wellbeing and language learning, but saw translanguaging as a temporary scaffold rather than a way to de-center the hegemony of English in curriculum and assessment. The findings provide implications for how teacher educators can foster TCs’ critical engagement with translanguaging to disrupt linguistic hierarchies and democratize the classroom.