“¿Cómo se Dice en El Salvador?” The Translanguaging Turn and Critical Language Awareness in Kindergarten

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Translanguaging and Criticality in Multilingual Classrooms and Communities (Table 1)

Abstract

This study aligns with research on the translanguaging turn (Garcia, 2009; Garcia & Kleyn, 2016; Menken & Sánchez, 2019) including recognition bilingual learners (BLs) negotiate racialized linguistic identities in schools (Presiado & Frieson, 2022), so critical language awareness can play an important role in literacy development (Cazden, 1974; Schleppegrell & Moore, 2017). Accordingly, this investigation explored how a bilingual teacher engaged Latinx kindergartners in “metalinguistic moments,” considering how concepts are construed across languages/language variations. Translanguaging during read alouds included named languages (Spanish, English) and Hispanophone variations. Critical language awareness can begin in kindergarten. Metalinguistic moments during literacy activities welcome BLs’ linguistic funds of knowledge into school discourse (Smith, 2001) while also introducing academic Spanish and English, thereby expanding meaning-making potential.

Author

• Laura Schall-Leckrone, Lesley University