Unilateral Translanguaging: Teachers' Language Use, Perceptions, and Experience in a Portuguese-English Two-Way Immersion Program

• In Event: Linguistic Repertoires and Practices Across Program Models and Languages

Abstract

This study documents the phenomenon of unilateral translanguaging--the configuration of translanguaging spaces to disproportionately privilege a dominant language or its speakers. We analyze four Brazilian bilingual teachers’ perceptions and practices of translanguaging in a Portuguese-English two-way immersion (TWI) program in the U.S. Data stem from a three-year ethnography and include semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. By exploring when and why participants engaged in translanguaging, we found that translanguaging mainly occurred during Portuguese lessons, where teachers used English to give directions, discipline, and give important announcements, linking the language to moments of high authority. This research highlights how educators’ practices and perceptions of translanguaging interact with structural features of bilingual education programming in ways that disrupt or reproduce inequities.

Authors

• Mariana Lima Becker, Boston College

• Chris K. Chang-Bacon, University of Virginia

• Gabrielle Oliveira, Harvard University