Promoting Social Justice Through Translanguaging: Teacher’s Views of How Best to Support Linguistic Diversity

• In Event: Just(ice) Beginnings: Researchers’ Life Stories of Caring and Just Practices in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Translanguaging is defined as a bilingual individual’s act of accessing a range of linguistic features through various means to maximize the potential to communicate (García, 2009). This study explored early childhood educator’s perspectives regarding the use of translanguaging versus the traditional English only approach to teaching English to preschool children. Quantitative results indicate that teachers do not feel it is appropriate to speak children’s home language in the English class yet find it appropriate for the children to use it. While this shows support for translanguaging in the classroom, they also favored an English only policy in the classroom. Qualitative responses are shared and will shed some light on this perceived discrepancy.

Author

• Julia T. Atiles, East Tennessee State University