Translanguaging in English Language Teaching: A Perspective of Bilingual Education

Abstract

The term translanguaging has been increasingly used in scholarly literature to refer to  both complex and fluid language practices in bilingual education as well as its important roles  in pedagogical practices in EFL context. This paper review the growing scholarly literature that  takes up the term translanguaging and discusses the ways in which the term is implemented  in EFL perspective. The focus in this paper is on the potential and the challenges that a  translanguaging theory provides for bilingual education and the empirical evidences  investigated in the EFL context. After a review of scholarship, the researchers illustrate a  research study in relation to the use of students’ L1 in bilingual education regarding  translanguaging theory makes evident – (1) practical ways that L1 can be used to help  international school students learn better, (2) how international school students use their L1  to help them learn better in different learning situations, and (3) international school teachers’  and students’ attitudes about the use of students’ L1 in the classroom in an international  school context. We then summarize future practices on which translaguaging theory impacts  the issues of English language teaching and pedagogy in bilingual education.