Translanguaging Design in Math and Science: One Exemplar Teacher's Practice in Atlanta

• In Event: Contextualizing Translanguaging in Different Chinese-English Bilingual Educational Settings

Abstract

Purpose
This study is a case study of one exemplar classroom practicing translanguaging in an elementary math and science classroom in an immersion one-way Chinese/English dual language bilingual program. This case study focuses on how one educator used translanguaging practices to maximize emergent bilingual young students’ learning potential in a Chinese immersion classroom in Atlanta. This educator used students’ first languages (English) to scaffold and ground a knowledge base from which to cultivate learning (Vygotsky, 1978) of content as well as their second language of Chinese.

Theoretical framework
The main theoretical premise of this session will be from a translanguaging perspective (Garcia & Li, 2014), wherein speakers employ any language in their repertoire to maximize fidelity to their intentions.

Research methods: Data sources and analysis
The researcher utilized an action research case study using an ethnographic approach (Tachhi, Slater, & Hearn, 2003), and gathered data through class observations, interviews and artifact collections. The evidence presented are student work samples, and interviews and observation data of translanguaging practice, evidenced by student written work and examples of specific lessons. This study represents collaborative research involving both a school instructor, whose cultural and linguistic identities are highlighted. There was thematic triangulation of all data types: interviews, student work, and observations (Flick, 2004). Themes emerging through a recursive process including U.S. culture, Chinese culture, Chinese language, English language, and digital literacy. The data was initially coded via preset categories of ethnicity, gender, age, Chinese, English, translanguaging, and types of behavior.

Findings
With the systematic instructional design of a translanguaging approach, the learning outcomes in this classroom, whether math or science, are found to be superior than both those in their monolingual Chinese-immersion and mainstream counterparts, and student investment and interest also increases. The instructor of this classroom intentionally violated the 90% target language policy of this program because she sought to allocate languages in such a way as to maximize communication and encouraged student use of their L1s to aid their understanding of content rather than strictly follow the protocol of 90% target language. End-of-the-year benchmarks serve as evidence for superior learning using a translanguaging approach.

Scholarly significance
This study provides real-world examples of translanguaging in practice and reconceives language repertoires to include a multifunctional hybrid language ability that speakers use in the service of conveying meaning. It builds upon Garcia and Li’s (2014) work on translanguaging by giving real-world examples of the utilization of translanguaging pedagogy.

Author

• Xiaodi Zhou, The University of Texas - Brownsville