DOS VOICES, ONE IDENTIDAD: THE ROLE OF TRANSLANGUAGING IN REIMAGINING THE SECONDARY LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Abstract

Culturally and linguistically diverse students come to the classroom equipped with unique skills, language capabilities, learning needs, and funds of knowledge and funds of identity that are often ignored in the curricular planning for academic activities and experiences for these students. Even in programs designed to optimize the potential of emergent bilinguals’ language use (such as dual immersion programs), prescribed language models often ask for strict language separation which counter the natural translanguaging thinking and speaking patterns of emergent bilingual students. This practitioner study examines middle school English Language Arts students in a Spanish-English dual immersion setting to describe and analyze their use of translanguaging. Through narrative and poetic analysis and individual and interwoven stories, the study explores how students use language to form and express their identities, as well as explores my own experiences as a multilingual student and educator. This study highlights the importance of natural translanguaging practices and processes for students who use them as part of their language development and expression. Exploring this possibility can turn into a powerful and important pedagogical tool for educators in dual immersion settings, and all educators who serve multilingual students.