Title: Translanguaging in Higher Education: Perceptions and Practices among English Major Undergraduate Students in a Multilingual Setting
Authors: Arrianne Christelle J. Apostol, PhD-EL Student
Volume: 9
Issue: 6
Pages: 1-13
Publication Date: 2025/06/28
Abstract:
Scholars have recognized that multilingual students frequently switch between languages to fulfill the linguistic requirements of their target language, either intentionally or unintentionally. Huang & Chalmers (2023), along with Weib & Lin (2019), emphasized that studying translanguaging in the classroom discourse is not only about encouraging fluid multilingual practices within the limits and boundaries set up by the academic tasks, but it also aims at challenging and transforming it into an effective pedagogical practice in a variety of educational contexts where the school language or the language of instruction is relevant to all types of learners. There, exploring various perspectives on practice is important, as this can impact learning. This need motivates the researcher to conduct further studies involving different participants to gain deeper insights. Supporters of these practices argue that students naturally use their native language in class to learn the target language (Nambisan, 2014), while others advocate for an "English-only" approach that has become increasingly common among multilingual learners (Cook, 2001; Moore, 2013). However, even if teachers discourage the use of these techniques, learners' connections to various languages remain in their minds (Atan, Hamid, Badrul, Azhar & Norway 2024; Huang & Chalmers, 2023). As such, the benefits and drawbacks of translanguaging pedagogy continue to be the subject of extensive research in language teaching and learning (Liu, 2023; Wagner & Troth, 2013).Thus, the present study explored an explanatory sequential mixed methods focusing on the perceptions and practices among undergraduate students in a multilingual setting and determine (1) how the Bachelor of Secondary Education (Major in English) students perceive translanguaging as (a) practice, (b) for second language learning, (c) in social settings, and (d) in higher education (2) finds out the reasons why students perceive translanguaging positively. Based on careful analysis of the data gathered, it shows that respondents lean toward agreement with positive statements regarding translanguaging practices in academic or communicative contexts. This indicates that most of the college students who come from different linguistic backgrounds were in favor of the use of translanguaging in linguistically diverse learning environments. From the students' narratives, six (6) themes emerged about the reasons why students perceive translanguaging positively, as follows: (1) promotes inclusive and equitable learning environments, (2) enhances comprehension and conceptual understanding, (3) increases confidence and participation, (4) facilitates clarification and reduces cognitive load, (5) improves strategy for active classroom engagement and (6) enables contextualization and relatability of lessons.