Don't fight about translanguaging theory - focus on the benefits of multiple languages in classrooms
What is it about?
Many teachers and researchers today discuss whether multilingual learners should use all the languages they speak in their classroom activities. At the heart of this discussion is the concept of 'translanguaging.' This term covers a wide range of activities that involve more than one language. Different people interpret this term in different ways, leading to debates over the details of the theory. In a programmatic article, Jeanine Treffers-Daller suggests narrowing the definition of translanguaging to make it clearer and more useful in research. In our response, we define 'translanguaging' as any reasoning activity involving multiple languages. We argue that instead of focusing too much on theory, educators should prioritize the pedagogical benefits of translanguaging for multilingual learners. We also discuss learner studies showing that reasoning in multiple languages enhances cognitive abilities.
Why is it important?
The ongoing debate about translanguaging and multilingualism includes some controversial claims. For example, Garcia and colleagues argue that multilingual learners don’t have distinct languages but rather a personal language repertoire that blends all languages. In contrast, other theories suggest multilingual learners have separate languages that can interact. We believe these theoretical debates can make teachers hesitant to use translanguaging in the classroom, even though research shows its benefits. Therefore, we propose agreeing on a simple, non-controversial definition of translanguaging activities that are backed by evidence. It’s also crucial to conduct further research to show the benefits of different types of translanguaging activities to help convince teachers to implement them.