Original Research - Special Collection: Translanguaging-for-learning in the South

Translanguaging for learning in selected English First Additional Language secondary school classrooms

Monica Hendricks, Simthembile Xeketwana
Reading & Writing | Vol 15, No 1 | a502 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/rw.v15i1.502 | © 2024 Monica Hendricks, Simthembile Xeketwana | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 26 April 2024 | Published: 31 October 2024

About the author(s)

Monica Hendricks, Institute for the Study of the Englishes of Africa, Department of Education, Faculty of Education, Rhodes University, Makanda, South Africa
Simthembile Xeketwana, Department of Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Abstract

Background: The unequal learning outcomes and achievement gaps in language and literacy, particularly affecting poor and working-class children in South African schools, are longstanding issues. These disparities were highlighted once again in the poor literacy results of PIRLS 2021, indicating systemic challenges within the education system.

Objectives: This article emanates from a Languaging-for-Learning (L4L) project, which holistically used approaches to integrate isiXhosa home language and English to validate and engage with the learners’ linguistic repertoires to open more opportunities to learn and read multilingually.

Method: The research was conducted in two Western Cape township high schools with bilingual isiXhosa and English-speaking teachers and emergent bilingual learners. Five Grade 9 teachers’ English First Additional Language (EFAL) lessons were observed and recorded in 2023. The case study focused on shifts in teachers’ take-up of translanguaging strategies in EFAL lessons and their effective pedagogical use, especially in written form.

Results: The findings revealed that bilingual teachers creatively incorporated teaching practices that allowed learners to transition between languages while learning EFAL. The study further indicates that bilingual education has the potential to be a valuable pedagogical strategy in contexts where exclusive use of English impedes effective learning.

Conclusion: Yet again, the findings of this study accentuate the importance of incorporating and utilising learners’ home languages into the education process. A bilingual or multilingual pedagogical approach not only enriches the learning experiences but also acknowledges the linguistic diversity within the classroom, thereby making way for more effective and inclusive education practices.

Contribution: This study contributes to the understanding of how a bilingual or multilingual teacher intervention can impact English teachers’ classroom practices positively. It emphasises the importance of recognising and embracing the language resources that learners bring to the classroom, highlighting the value of a bilingual pedagogical approach in promoting effective learning outcomes.


Keywords

Bilingual education; English First Additional Language; isiXhosa as a resource; language and literacy; multilingualism; presentational talk; translanguaging

Sustainable Development Goal

Goal 4: Quality education

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