Examining Language Ideologies in Translingual Picture Books

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Beyond Language: Educating for Belonging and Global Citizenship

Abstract

This study critically examines how translingual picture books engage with and reproduce standard monolingual language ideologies within English-dominant publishing contexts. Through a focused multimodal critical discourse analysis of two translingual picture books, Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin and A Thousand White Butterflies, we explore how linguistic and visual elements interact to position multilingualism in children's literature. While translingual books are often seen as challenging standardized monolingual language ideologies, this analysis explores how they may both subvert and reinforce dominant language ideologies through multimodal strategies. By critically assessing how language is represented across modes, this study highlights the complexities of translingual storytelling and its implications for linguistic diversity in children’s literature.

Authors

• Saesaem Yoon, University of Washington - Tacoma

• Janelle Franco, University of Washington - Tacoma