Translanguaging in Practice: Examining Teacher–Student Interaction in a SIFE Literacy Classroom

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 11:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Translanguaging as Praxis: Negotiating Multilingualism, Power, and Pedagogy

Abstract

This exploratory analysis investigates how translanguaging pedagogy operates within teacher–student interactions in a middle school classroom serving Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE). While translanguaging research has documented student collaboration and teacher modeling, few studies examine full-class discourse and how meaning is co-constructed across languages. Using classroom data from [Name of Curriculum Project Redacted], this exploratory study applies discourse analysis to identify key discursive functions and multilingual patterns in a high-stakes literacy setting. Findings offer an account of translanguaging pedagogy in action, revealing how teachers and students use language flexibly to co-construct meaning, maintain engagement, and navigate academic norms shaped by institutional pressures and English-only expectations.

Author

• Abbey E Gonzales, Vanderbilt University