Translanguaging for multiliteracy development: pedagogical approaches for classroom practitioners

Abstract

When teaching multilingual learners, it is critical for teachers to use instructional strategies that engage and nurture language and biliteracy skills. In this practice-based paper, we address how teachers can utilize translanguaging strategies to recognize and build multilingual practices while offering all learners opportunities to share their voices. The use of instructional practices that mirror the linguistic practices of multilingual learners promotes social justice and inclusivity in learning. We provide explanations and examples of translanguaging pedagogies, followed by instructional approaches that teachers can use to foster the language and literacy development of multilingual learners. Specific strategies and pedagogies that can be easily integrated into the classroom to promote language and literacy development are described. The appendix includes a shortlist of high-quality websites that support multilingual instruction and additional suggested readings for teachers seeking more information about how to integrate translanguaging into their classrooms.