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Translanguaging

Translanguaging is an educational approach that leverages students' bilingual and multilingual abilities to enhance learning and identity formation. By integrating students' home languages with academic content, educators can support complex content engagement, language development, and emotional well-being.

Key Points:

Benefits of Bilingualism and Multilingualism:

Enhances problem-solving, creativity, concentration, learning, and interpersonal skills.
Concepts of Bilingualism and Multilingualism:

Emergent: New language skills build on home language practices.
Dynamic: Language skills form a shared resource pool.
Adaptive: Language use adapts to cultural and identity contexts.
Complex: Languages create meaning in multifaceted ways.
What is Translanguaging?

A practice where students mix languages to communicate effectively.
No competition between languages; choice depends on context.
Translanguaging as Pedagogy:

Supports engagement with complex content and texts.
Provides opportunities for developing academic language practices.
Makes space for bilingual/multilingual knowledge.
Supports social and emotional development.
Translanguaging Strategies for Teachers:

Use bilingual/multilingual labels, repetition, and translation.
Pair students with similar language backgrounds but different proficiency levels.
View students' language abilities as essential for meaning-making.
Provide resources in multiple languages and encourage flexible language use.
Create bilingual/multilingual learning objectives and assignments.

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