Language contact and translingual literacies

Abstract

In this essay we examine the notions of language contact phenomena such as borrowing, codeswitching, codemixing, codemeshing, and translanguaging. We also explore the concepts of translingualism and translingual literacies. We discuss how the notions of bilingualism and multilingualism are differentiated from translingualism and translingual literacies, and how these concepts came into existence according to different theoretical positions. We also introduce the contents of the other articles included in this special issue, and highlight their key points, framing them in the context of research on translingual literacies. The following six areas from around the world are covered: (1) negotiating voice in translingual literacies, (2) Amerindian and translingual literacies, (3) translingual and transcultural practice in a rural classroom, (4) translingual and transcultural navigation among immigrant children and youth, (5) créolisation and the new cosmopolitanism, and (6) translingual practice among African immigrants in the USA. Last but not least, we include two book reviews related to translingual literacies, and we also provide some conclusions on the topics discussed, as well as some suggestions for further directions in future research.