12/5/2024
How to Support Emergent Bilinguals Using Translanguaging
Translanguaging is an instructional approach that encourages multilingual students to fluidly incorporate their home languages as they learn English, enhancing their comprehension and language skills.
Unlike translation, which focuses on converting text or speech from a student’s home language to English, translanguaging allows Emergent Bilinguals to use all of their languages flexibly to make meaning of academic content.
Some key translanguaging strategies include:
- Pairing students who share the same home language on projects
- Encouraging students to tap into their home language to describe content before presenting it in English
- Posting visual aids in two or more languages to help Emergent Bilinguals strengthen their vocabularies
Translanguaging not only strengthens students’ understanding of academic content—but embraces their background knowledge and cultural identities, fostering a positive view of multilingualism in the classroom.
It doesn’t take special training or a dual language classroom to incorporate translanguaging into instruction. However, it does require a classroom strategy and the belief that students can reach their full potential when they draw upon their home language and cultural experiences. All students can benefit from translanguaging because few use academic English at home, regardless of the home language they speak.
Download this infographic to learn more about intentional translanguaging strategies you can develop to help Emergent Bilinguals build upon their content knowledge while they develop academic English language skills.
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