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Translanguaging to Support Multilingual Students at the Writing Skills Improvement Program

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Karen Barto, PhD

Writing Skills Improvement Program (WSIP)

Bilingual Initiatives Symposium

April 12, 2024

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About the Writing Skills Improvement Program

Housed in the College of Humanities; supports students, faculty, and staff in all colleges
Also supports academic and non-academic writers from the community, other institutions, and other countries
Meets writers where they are at
Helps writers identify patterns in their writing
Supports writers to achieve their writing goals
Fully staffed by professional writing specialists

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Agenda

Translanguaging Definition and Background
Learning, Writing, and Translanguaging
Translanguaging Practices at WSIP

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Translanguaging

is a theory, approach, or set of practices that validates a full use of a multilingual person’s linguistic resources (Cenoz & Gorter, 2020; Cummins, 2019; Li, 2018; Li & García, 2014)
has been applied in many educational contexts, including writing instruction (Velasco & García, 2014) and writing centers, brick-and-mortar and online
can encourage writers to use any/all of their languages in the writing process

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Learning, Writing, and Translanguaging

We know that:

it is harder to learn in a second language (Cummins, 2007), but
using all languages known can facilitate complex and deeper learning (Kagwesage, 2013).

Learning and academic writing are intimately paired:

We use writing to show what we have already learned, but
we also learn through writing (Lyster, 2007; Swain & Lapkin, 1995).

Thus, translanguaging in writing can facilitate and improve learning for multilinguals.

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Discussion and questions will come later, but I'll pause here to ask a question for reflection: Have you tried to express yourself in writing in more than one language? What was that experience like for you? If we consider that the fundamental goal of university activities is learning, it’s important to consider the connections between learning, writing, and translanguaging. Learning and writing are intricately linked with each other and with translanguaging. We know that it's harder to learn in a second language, which many of our multilingual students are doing. But we also know that using all languages in a student’s linguistic repertoire can facilitate complex and deeper learning, and in American academia, learning and academic writing are intimately paired. We use writing to show what we've already learned, but we are also expected to learn through writing—our context is not structured for oral traditions to develop knowledge and critical thinking skills. Thus, applying translanguaging practices to writing can facilitate and improve learning for multilingual students.

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Translanguaging Practices at WSIP: Foundations

At WSIP, we value students’ linguistic and cultural experiences and identities.

Funds of Knowledge approach (Moll et al., 1992)
“Multilingual mindset” (Doiz et al., 2012)
WSIP motto: “Rapport, Respect, Relationship”

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Prominent in the definition of translanguaging is validation of a full use of a person’s linguistic resources. At WSIP, we have laid a foundation to validate students’ linguistic and cultural experience and identities. We take a Funds of Knowledge approach, recognizing the knowledge students bring to university not only from other educational experiences, but also from family and communities. We also maintain a “multilingual mindset”: students are not always thinking, reading, or writing only in English. Finally, we approach every client with our motto, “Rapport, Respect, Relationship” in mind. Rapport means getting to know individuals’ strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and goals. Respect means we value everyone’s writing and never take their voice away. Relationship means we endeavor to develop supportive, positive connections with the writers we support.

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Specific Translanguaging Practices at WSIP

Reading and annotating texts in multiple languages
Brainstorming and drafting in multiple languages (handwriting, typing, dictation)
Multilingual discussion

Code-mixing, teaching each other new terms and concepts
Share and reflect on how students experience writing and processing in their first/preferred language
Include monolingual people, who can engage with and learn from translanguaging practices too

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Having laid the foundations of respect and connection, we employ and educate about a variety of specific translanguaging practices that can relate to all stages of the writing process. We suggest reading and annotating texts in multiple languages according to an individual’s own needs and preferences. Students may need to read something in English, but write about it in Spanish, or vice-versa. It’s okay to take notes while reading in whatever language your brain is operating in—your focus in reading is to understand the text and make connections to prior knowledge, not to use just one linguistic code. For the same reason, we recommend brainstorming in any and all languages, and in multiple modalities—some find drawing, use of emojis, or graphical organizers useful. The same situation holds when drafting, whether in handwriting, typing, or via dictation. Modern software allows for use of many different writing systems to type or languages to dictate in. The only drawback to dictation is that most software does not handle code-mixing well, so you usually do need to dictate in “blocks” of English, Spanish, or another language. Finally, discussions about the writing process or individual’s topics can be multilingual as well. Depending on the makeup of the group and the speaker’s preferences, a speaker may choose to explain a concept or term from one language by using another language common to the whole group, and then use the original term in discussion thereafter. They may also translate specific terms into a language that is common to the whole group and just use the translations. We also offer opportunities for students to share and reflect on what writing and processing in their first or preferred language is like for them. This often builds confidence for those same processes in English, and helps monolingual students, who can engage with and learn from translanguaging practices too, understanding that writing happens in multiple ways.

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Affect and Agency in Translanguaging Practices

Multilingual clients may have a surprised, doubtful, or emotional reaction to translanguaging practices

monolingual mindset (e.g., Lambert & Tucker, 1972)
multilingualism as deficit (Muñoz-Muñoz, 2018)

Writers should make their own decisions about whether to employ translanguaging practices (e.g., students in Ngo, 2021).

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Affect and agency are really important considerations in translanguaging practices, too.

Although to many academics, especially applied linguists or critical theorists, keeping a multilingual mindset and encouraging translanguaging practices sounds like an improvement from the status quo, some multilingual clients may have a surprised or a doubtful or even emotional reaction to hearing about translanguaging practices as an option in their writing.

This can be due to some rather overarching cultural ideas in English-speaking cultures, such as the monolingual mindset, whether in English, Spanish, or other languages. There's a tendency to think that code mixing is a “bad habit” leading to “improper” language learning, and there is a large tendency in the US, especially, to still view multilingualism as a deficit, which is unfortunate and inaccurate.

However, regardless of how we feel about translanguaging practices, we remember that students should be the ones making their own decisions about whether or not to learn more about or employ those practices. So, if they do continue to feel doubtful or uncomfortable, because they have the sense that it's better not to mix languages, or they think they really need to focus on English only, that is absolutely their decision, and we do not pressure in any way. The student’s agency is most important.

However, there can be very positive emotional reactions to learning about translanguaging practices, such as students who I have met who were 30 years and older, had multiple degrees from Hispanic serving institutions, in fact and felt for the first time at our center that their Spanish was a valuable language and valued knowledge in their lives, in their education, and in their scholarship.

That, to me, is very important, to emphasize and to give students the opportunity to be validated in their multilingualism.

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In Summary

Translanguaging Practices:

validate multilingual expression and experience
may help “level the playing field” by tapping in to multiple knowledges for learning and writing
can be used regardless of what languages specialists, instructors, classmates, etc. speak
should be used widely at UArizona and other HSIs

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Conclusion

The larger goal: As an HSI, we must offer pedagogical practices that optimize our multilingual students' learning through respect, acknowledgment, and appreciation of the knowledge, languages, and experiences they bring.

Questions?

Karen Barto, Writing Skills Improvement Program

kabarto@arizona.edu

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References 1

Cenoz, J. & Gorter, D. (2020). Pedagogical translanguaging: An introduction. System, 92, 102269.
Cummins, J. (2007). Rethinking monolingual instructional strategies in multilingual classrooms. The Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10(2), 221–240.
Cummins, J. (2019). The Emergence of translanguaging pedagogy: A dialogue between theory and practice. Journal of Multilingual Education Research, 9, 19-36.
Doiz, A., Lasagabaster, D. & Sierra, J.M. (2012). Future challenges for English-Medium Instruction at the tertiary level. In A. Doiz, D. Lasagabaster and J.M. Sierra (Eds.), English-Medium Instruction at Universities: Global Challenges, pp. 213-221.
García, O., & Li, W. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lambert, W. E., & Tucker, G. R. (1972). Bilingual education of children: The St. Lambert experiment. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

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References 2

Li, W. (2018). Translanguaging as a Practical Theory of Language. Applied Linguistics, 39(1), 9–30.
Lyster, R. (2007). Learning and teaching languages through content: A counterbalanced approach. John Benjamins.
Kagwesage, A.M. (2013). Coping with English as Language of Instruction in Higher Education in Rwanda. International Journal of Higher Education, 2(2), 1-12.
Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice, 31(2), 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405849209543534
Muñoz-Muñoz, E. R. (2018). Destandardizing the Standard(s): Ideological and Implementational Spaces in Preservice Teacher Education. [Doctoral dissertation, Stanford University]. https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/12698948

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References 3

Ngo, P.L.H. (2021). Translanguaging Practices in EMI Settings from the Perspective of Student Agency: An Example from Vietnamese Higher Education. In W. Tsou & W. Baker (Eds.), English-Medium Instruction Translanguaging Practices in Asia: Theories, Frameworks and Implementation in Higher Education. Springer.
Swain, M. & Lapkin, S. (1995). Problems in output and the cognitive processes they generate: a step toward second language learning. Applied Linguistics, 16(3), 371-91.
Velasco, P. & García, O. (2014). Translanguaging and the writing of bilingual learners. Bilingual Research Journal, 37(1), 6-23.

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