Translanguaging

Translanguaging is the dynamic process whereby multilingual language users mediate complex social and cognitive activities through strategic employment of multiple semiotic resources to act, to know and to be (Garcia and Li Wei, 2014).

It is believed that the term was first coined in Welsh by Cen Williams as trawsieithu; it can be controlled by both the student and the teacher. It maximises the child's bilingual ability and is being used across the world.[1]

The 'trans' prefix emphasizes: - the fluid practices that go beyond (transcend) socially constructed language systems and structures to engage diverse multiple meaning-making systems and subjectivities

- the transformative capacity of translanguaging practices not only for language systems, but also individual’s cognition and social structures

- the transdisciplinary consequences of re-conceptualizing language, language learning and language use for linguistics, psychology, sociology and education

When talking about bilingualism, some scholars consider translanguaging as opposed to a "double monolingualism".[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Translanguaging - An approach to bilingualism where speakers switch from one language to another". The New York Times. 1 December 2010.
  2. ↑ Ofelia Garcia. "Education, Multilingualism and Translanguaging in the 21st Century". Retrieved 15 March 2014.

Ofelia Garcia and Li Wei (2014) Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education. Palgrave Macmillan

External links