Decolonizing English language teaching through a Translanguaging Lens: A Collaborative Autoethnography

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Autoethnographies of Multilingualism: Identity, Family, and Critical Language Pedagogy in Transnational Contexts

Abstract

This collaborative autoethnography explores translanguaging as a decolonial pedagogical practice in Egypt and the U.S., based on our teaching experiences in Egyptian EFL teacher education and Penn State’s IECP. We examine how translanguaging challenges colonial language hierarchies and affirms students’ linguistic identities. While institutional support in the IECP supports translanguaging, in Egypt it emerges informally to resist English-only norms. We reflect on its potential to foster student agency, reduce anxiety, and deepen engagement, while also facing challenges such as institutional resistance and tensions with English proficiency goals. Our experiences highlight both the potential and limitations of translanguaging as a culturally responsive, inclusive practice rooted in decolonial values.

Authors

• Hala Salem, The Pennsylvania State University

• Ahmad Ali Khalaf Ali, Pennsylvania State University