A Case Study of Translanguaging by a Fourth-Grade Spanish Speaker

• In Event: Examining Hybrid Linguistic Practices in Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This presentation draws from a recent dissertation featuring a qualitative case study of Spanish-speaking elementary students considered “at-risk of becoming Long Term English Learners” in a California public school. The study aimed to counter deficit-informed research by highlighting the abundant linguistic and cultural resources English learners bring to school. For this session, the language and literacy skills of one particular focus student in fourth grade are analyzed for ways in which she engaged in translanguaging to make sense of differences between Spanish and English. Specific examples from the study illustrate how the student deployed linguistic resources across languages for purposes of communication and identity expression.

Author

• Jenna Canillas, Biola University