Translanguaging Pedagogy in TESOL Teacher Preparation

• In Event: Exploring Critically and Socially Just Ways Forward in Language Education Through Collective Self-Study

Abstract

Objectives
This self-study of language and literacy teacher education practices (Sharkey & Peercy, 2018) focuses on the pedagogical practices that have been implemented in an undergraduate TESOL Certificate program since the spring of 2017 when we shifted the program from an SEI approach to a translanguaging approach. Our research team is made up of the professor of the two required courses for the program, an outside researcher, and a student in the courses who was also the professor’s research assistant. From these different perspectives we explore the various practices aimed at helping future teachers engage with translanguaging as both a theory and taking it up as practice. We also consider to what degree translanguaging was modeled and practiced within the TESOL courses.
Perspectives
Our commitment to translanguaging is grounded in our belief in the need to challenge status quo practices and systems that create and sustain inequalities. We draw on the work of García and Li Wei (2014) to explore ways that translanguaging is “part of a moral and political act that links the production of alternative meanings to transformative social action” (p. 37). In TESOL teacher preparation work the transformative action that both teacher educators and future teachers must engage in is teaching. Our self-study explores the translanguaging pedagogy practiced within the TESOL certificate courses. We understand translanguaging pedagogy to be composed of a teacher’s stance, design and shifts and to afford teachers the elements necessary to work together with their students to advance social justice (García, Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017).
Methods and Data Sources
Since spring 2017, we have been researching our own process of integrating translanguaging into a two-course, undergraduate, TESOL Certificate program at a university in Boston. This self-study shares the design of the two courses and analyzes our data through qualitative methods drawing from practitioner inquiry and design-based research. We have collected data from 5 courses consisting of the course syllabi, individual class agendas, different iterations of course assignments and the professor’s journal entries. Also, we have collected course work from 57 undergraduate student participants in the two TESOL Certificate courses consisting of reading reflections, linguistic autobiographies, interviews with multilinguals, lesson plans, microteaching videos, philosophy of teaching statements and reflective journaling. Students’ work enables us to better understand their responses to the professor’s pedagogical practices. Unique to our study, is the perspective of our team member who was a student in the professor’s courses. His reflections are part of our data set and highlighted in our paper.
Results
We found the pedagogical practices used throughout the TESOL certificate courses resulted in developing a translanguaging stance. Students recognized inequities perpetuated through the dominance of English and monolingual practices. They also began developing a translanguaging theory of language and learned to design translanguaging lessons and spaces. We are still developing more ways for teacher educators to model translanguaging.
Scholarly Significance
The dominance of monolingualism that perpetuates inequalities and needs to be challenged exists at all levels of education. We believe translanguaging pedagogy can bring more justice to all classrooms.

Authors

• Elizabeth Anne Robinson, Suffolk University

• Zhongfeng Tian, The University of Texas at San Antonio

• Elie Crief, Suffolk University