Translanguaging as a Socioculturally Responsive Pedagogy for Multilingual Learners

Abstract

The study investigated pedagogical affordances of collaborative peer-to-peer translanguaging in a trilingual educational context at a South African rural secondary school. Qualitative data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 10 (n=10) grade 12 learners to elicit their experiences on how translanguaging as affordances of translanguaging during collaborative in English First Additional Language classroom in analyzing a novel, Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin drawing from their Xitsonga and Siswati language repertoires in small groups. The study found that L1 use in the classroom increases the enjoyment and confidence of learners, relieves language anxiety, and provides a sense of security because learners are able to ask and answer questions in a language in which they are proficient. The findings of this study also show that translanguaging as a linguistic-discursive affordances in a trilingual collaborative learning environment facilitates the transfer of knowledge and language skills across languages, scaffold learners’ learning of a new language, affirm their linguistic and cultural identities, and enhance their engagement in learning. The study recommends the use of pedagogical affordances of collaborative peer-to-peer translanguaging in a multilingual educational context to allow learners to showcase their L1 cultures and teach their L1 to their peers to enhance their identity investment, and affective and cognitive engagement.