Language-based inclusive pedagogy is focused on instruction in mainstream education where groups of learners have a range of different language proficiencies, from monolingual to bilingual or multilingual (Tait & Gleeson 2016). They come from a variety of educational and linguistic backgrounds and, for most of these learners, the language of instruction differs from their home language(s). The imperative to understand and accommodate the educational needs of these learners has impelled a stream of research on linguistically inclusive pedagogy (Roth et al. 2012), most of which is aimed at raising proficiency in the language(s) of instruction. Less is however known about the concrete role the home languages can assume for the acquisition of knowledge in typically monolingual school contexts (Duarte 2016).
Recent developments in educational research have led to a translanguaging approach (García 2009; Creese and Blackledge 2010), meaning the flexible use of multiple languages by multilingual pupils in mainstream education, going beyond seeing language as isolated constructs. While this approach has enjoyed a positive scientific echoing, researchers need to continue to investigate the ways in which and the extent to which the concept has been transferred into pedagogical practice. In addition, educationalists need to embrace the concept/ need to accept it on a larger scale
Against this backdrop, “inclusive” means not only catering for differences in the proficiency of the language(s) of instruction, but, rather, applying pedagogical strategies to include the “other” languages of multilingual pupils in mainstream education. This, of course, triggers manifold changes in traditionally monolingual education systems; for example, in the way interaction is managed in the classroom or in new needs/ challenges for of teacher education in relation to embedding a translanguaging approach within an inclusive pedagogy.
This symposium addresses some of the issues around a translanguaging approach within mainstream education. The main aim of the symposium is to find answers to the following overarching research question: a) how can the concept of translanguaging be more concretely defined for the mainstream pedagogical practice? It draws on research conducted a) at different levels of the education system and b) in different national settings.
The symposium starts by providing insights into a translanguaging approach developed in five primary schools to reduce language separation and raise the role of the Frisian minority language. By introducing the results of a multiple case study conducted in the Netherlands, Joana Duarte and Alex Riemersma reveal how translanguaging was implemented by teachers for designing curricular activities in which both national, foreign, migrant and minority languages play a role.
Another facet of translanguaging is provided by Irina Usanova, who discusses the translanguaging in writing of biscriptual bilinguals in Germany. This paper depicts how bilinguals strategically apply their biscriptual resources while carrying out their writings and discusses the impact of translanguaging on the quality of produced texts.
This symposium proceeds with presenting practitioners’ perception of translanguaging in Luxembourg. In her paper, Claudine Kirsch reveals that practitioners show positive attitudes towards translanguaging. The embracing of translanguaging by practitioners is, furthermore, reflected in the involvement of diverse languages during children’s’ story-telling in nursery schools.
The factors influencing the practicing of translanguaging in school interaction will be looked at by Kirsten Rosiers. This last contribution investigates the dependence of translanguaging from the given contextual factors and highlights the role of teachers as mediators for legitimizing the linguistic resources available to students.
The discussion will focus on the introduced multifacetedness of translanguaging as well as on the potential and challenges of implementing and promoting translanguaging at different levels and in different contexts of mainstream education.
