Investigating the Dynamic Bilingualism of Emergent Bilingual Children in the Multimodal Literacy Heritage Language Classroom

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 4:20 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Ways to Support the Literacy Development of Multilingual Learners (Table 1)

Abstract

This study investigates dynamic bilingualism in a multimodal literacy heritage language classroom with five Korean-American children, aged 5 to 6, in the southeastern US. Using dynamic bilingualism as a lens, teacher research examines the impact of multimodal translanguaging pedagogy on children's dynamic bilingual use. Findings reveal the pedagogy's effectiveness in fostering dynamic bilingualism, as children freely switch between English and Korean during diverse multimodal activities. However, variations are observed among the children, with some demonstrating a higher level of cross-linguistic awareness and more dynamic language usage than others. The study triangulated these findings by examining the influence of parental beliefs, attitudes, and language practices on children's bilingualism, underscoring the importance of targeted parental education to effectively support children's dynamic bilingualism.

Author

• Kyungjin Hwang, University of South Carolina