Teachers’ and students’ beliefs about translanguaging in higher education: A systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss2pp402-419Abstract
Background and Purpose: In recent years, there has been increased attention to translanguaging in educational research, particularly in higher education. The successful implementation of translanguaging practices depends on various factors, including the attitudes and beliefs of both teachers and students. However, there has been limited systematic review on this issue. This study aims to examine and synthesize existing literature on teachers’ and students’ beliefs regarding translanguaging practices in higher education contexts.
Methodology: A systematic review was conducted, following PRISMA guideline. Research databases including Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC were searched with specific search terms ‘perception OR belief AND translanguaging’, resulting in the retrieval of 469 articles. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 28 articles were selected for ultimate thematic analysis.
Findings: The analysis revealed that teachers’ and students’ beliefs regarding translanguaging were significantly shaped by their pre-existing values and knowledge, institutions’ policies, as well as the nature of courses or curricula. Despite the evident benefits of translanguaging pedagogy highlighted in the reviewed studies, teachers encountered challenges in its implementation. The study identified four primary areas of support needed for the implementation of translanguaging, encompassing teacher training, adjusting curriculum and assessment, fostering collaboration, and developing language policy.
Contributions: This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of both teachers and students in implementing translanguaging practices in higher education. The study contributes to advancing knowledge and understanding of translanguaging in higher education, with implications for both theory and practice in this area.
Keywords: Higher education, students’ beliefs, systematic review, teachers’ beliefs, translanguaging.
References
Akbar, R. S. S., & Taqi, H. A. (2020). Translanguaging as an ESL learning strategy: A case study in Kuwait. International Journal of Higher Education, 9(6), 54-63.
Al-Bataineh, A., & Gallagher, K. (2018). Attitudes towards translanguaging: How future teachers perceive the meshing of Arabic and English in children’s storybooks. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 24(3), 386-400.
Alhaj, A. A. M., & Alwadai, M. A. M. (2022). Female students’ perception of the use of (trans)languaging within English literature classrooms at King Khalid university. Arab World English Journal, 13(4), 398-411.
Alhasnawi, S. (2021). Teachers’ beliefs and practices with respect to translanguaging university mathematics in Iraq. Linguistics and Education, 63, 100930.
Alisaari, J., Heikkola, L. M., Commins, N., & Acquah, E. O. (2019). Monolingual ideologies confronting multilingual realities: Finnish teachers’ beliefs about linguistic diversity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 80, 48-58.
Alzahrani, T. (2019). Investigating translanguaging practices and attitudes of international students in higher education at an American university. Arab World English Journal, Special Issue 1: Application of Global ELT Practices in Saudi Arabia, 1(1), 118-128.
Ambele, E. A. (2022). Supporting English teaching in Thailand by accepting translanguaging: Views from Thai university teachers. Issues in Educational Research, 32(3), 871-886.
Barros, S., Domke, L. M., Symons, C., & Ponzio, C. (2020). Challenging monolingual ways of looking at multilingualism: Insights for curriculum development in teacher preparation. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 20(4), 239-254.
Baker, C. (2003). Biliteracy and transliteracy in Wales: Language planning and the Welsh National Curriculum. In N. Hornberger (Ed.), Continua of biliteracy (pp. 71-90). Multilingual Matters.
Booth, A. (2008). Unpacking your literature search toolbox: On search styles and tactics. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 25(4), 313-317.
Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36, 81-109.
Borg, S. (2006). Teacher cognition and language education: Research and practice. Continuum.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitaive Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Cavazos, A. G., & Musanti, S. I. (2022). Insights from a faculty learning community on translingual community-engaged pedagogy at a Hispanic serving institution. Language and Education, 36(3), 211-225.
Cummins, J. (2007). Rethinking monolingual instructional strategies in multilingual classrooms. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10(2), 221-240.
Fang, F., & Liu, Y. (2020). ‘Using all English is not always meaningful’: Stakeholders’ perspectives on the use of and attitudes towards translanguaging at a Chinese university. Lingua, 247, 102959.
Garrard, J. (2011). Health sciences literature review made easy: The matrix method (3rd ed). Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
García, O., & Li, W. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Gorter, D., & Arocena, E. (2020). Teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism in a course on translanguaging. System, 92, 102272.
Karabassova, L., & Isidro, X. S. (2020). Towards translanguaging in CLIL: A study on teachers’ perceptions and practices in Kazakhstan. International Journal of Multilingualism, 20(2), 556-575.
Karabulut, A., & Kesli̇ Dollar, Y. (2022). The use of translanguaging pedagogy in writing classes of Turkish EFL learners. Participatory Educational Research, 9(6), 41-65.
Kaufhold, K. (2023). Transnational postgraduate students’ experience of voice and participation. Applied Linguistics Review, 14(1), 1-23.
Kim, S. (2022). ‘Nabewa nabedayo!’: Foreign faculty members’ perceived need to learn the students’ L1. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(4), 1417-1432.
Kiramba, L. K., & Harris, V. J. (2018). Navigating authoritative discourses in a multilingual classroom: Conversations with policy and practice. TESOL Quarterly, 53(2), 456-481.
Kuteeva, M. (2020). Revisiting the ‘E’ in EMI: Students’ perceptions of standard English, lingua franca and translingual practices. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(3), 287-300.
Kwihangana, F. (2021). Enhancing EFL students’ participation through translanguaging. ELT Journal, 75(1), 87-96.
Li, W. (2011). Moment analysis and translanguaging space: Discursive construction of identities by multilingual Chinese youth in Britain. Journal of Pragmatics, 43(5), 1222-1235.
Li, W. (2018). Translanguaging as a practical theory of language. Applied Linguistics, 39(1), 9-30.
Lin, A. M. Y. (2020). Introduction: Translanguaging and translanguaging pedagogies. In V. Vaish (Ed.), Translanguaging in multilingual English classrooms (pp. 1-9). Springer Nature Singapore.
Martin-Beltrán, M., Guzman, N. L., & Chen, P. J. (2017). ‘Let’s think about it together:’ How teachers differentiate discourse to mediate collaboration among linguistically diverse students. Language Awareness, 26(1), 41-58.
Mbirimi-Hungwe, V. (2019). Stepping beyond linguistic boundaries in multilingual Science education: Lecturer’s perceptions of the use of translanguaging. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 37(1), 15-26.
Mendoza, A., & Parba, J. (2018). Thwarted: Relinquishing educator beliefs to understand translanguaging from learners’ point of view. International Journal of Multilingualism, 16(3), 270-285.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & The PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Med, 6(7), e1000097.
Nguyen, T. T. T. (2019). Translanguaging as trans-identity: The case of ethnic minority students in Vietnam. Lingua, 222, 39-52.
Ou, W. A., Gu, M. M., & Hult, F. M. (2023). Translanguaging for intercultural communication in international higher education: Transcending English as a lingua franca. International Journal of Multilingualism, 20(2), 576-594.
Palfreyman, D. M., & Al-Bataineh, A. (2018). ‘This is my life style, Arabic and English’: Students’ attitudes to (trans)languaging in a bilingual university context. Language Awareness, 27(1-2), 79-95.
Parra, M. O., & Proctor, C. P. (2021). Translanguaging to understand language. TESOL Quarterly, 55(3), 766-794.
Wang, D. (2016). Translanguaging in Chinese foreign language classrooms: Students and teachers’ attitudes and practices. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(2), 138-149.
Wang, D. (2020). Studying Chinese language in higher education: The translanguaging reality through learners’ eyes. System, 95, 102394.
Williams, C. (1994). An evaluation of teaching and learning methods in the context of bilingual secondary education [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Wales, Bangor.
Yasar Yuzlu, M., & Dikilitas, K. (2022). Translanguaging in the development of EFL learners’ foreign language skills in Turkish context. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 16(2), 176-190.
Yuan, R., & Yang, M. (2020). Towards an understanding of translanguaging in EMI teacher education classrooms. Language Teaching Research, 27(4), 884-906.
Zhang, X., & Hadjioannou, X. (2022). Chinese graduate students’ translanguaging practice in the context of academic writing in English. Applied Linguistics Review, 13(3), 373-388.
Zhou, X., & Mann, S. (2021). Translanguaging in a Chinese university CLIL classroom: Teacher strategies and student attitudes. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 11(2), 265-289.
Al-Bataineh, A., & Gallagher, K. (2018). Attitudes towards translanguaging: How future teachers perceive the meshing of Arabic and English in children’s storybooks. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 24(3), 386-400.
Alhaj, A. A. M., & Alwadai, M. A. M. (2022). Female students’ perception of the use of (trans)languaging within English literature classrooms at King Khalid university. Arab World English Journal, 13(4), 398-411.
Alhasnawi, S. (2021). Teachers’ beliefs and practices with respect to translanguaging university mathematics in Iraq. Linguistics and Education, 63, 100930.
Alisaari, J., Heikkola, L. M., Commins, N., & Acquah, E. O. (2019). Monolingual ideologies confronting multilingual realities: Finnish teachers’ beliefs about linguistic diversity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 80, 48-58.
Alzahrani, T. (2019). Investigating translanguaging practices and attitudes of international students in higher education at an American university. Arab World English Journal, Special Issue 1: Application of Global ELT Practices in Saudi Arabia, 1(1), 118-128.
Ambele, E. A. (2022). Supporting English teaching in Thailand by accepting translanguaging: Views from Thai university teachers. Issues in Educational Research, 32(3), 871-886.
Barros, S., Domke, L. M., Symons, C., & Ponzio, C. (2020). Challenging monolingual ways of looking at multilingualism: Insights for curriculum development in teacher preparation. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 20(4), 239-254.
Baker, C. (2003). Biliteracy and transliteracy in Wales: Language planning and the Welsh National Curriculum. In N. Hornberger (Ed.), Continua of biliteracy (pp. 71-90). Multilingual Matters.
Booth, A. (2008). Unpacking your literature search toolbox: On search styles and tactics. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 25(4), 313-317.
Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36, 81-109.
Borg, S. (2006). Teacher cognition and language education: Research and practice. Continuum.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitaive Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Cavazos, A. G., & Musanti, S. I. (2022). Insights from a faculty learning community on translingual community-engaged pedagogy at a Hispanic serving institution. Language and Education, 36(3), 211-225.
Cummins, J. (2007). Rethinking monolingual instructional strategies in multilingual classrooms. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10(2), 221-240.
Fang, F., & Liu, Y. (2020). ‘Using all English is not always meaningful’: Stakeholders’ perspectives on the use of and attitudes towards translanguaging at a Chinese university. Lingua, 247, 102959.
Garrard, J. (2011). Health sciences literature review made easy: The matrix method (3rd ed). Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
García, O., & Li, W. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Gorter, D., & Arocena, E. (2020). Teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism in a course on translanguaging. System, 92, 102272.
Karabassova, L., & Isidro, X. S. (2020). Towards translanguaging in CLIL: A study on teachers’ perceptions and practices in Kazakhstan. International Journal of Multilingualism, 20(2), 556-575.
Karabulut, A., & Kesli̇ Dollar, Y. (2022). The use of translanguaging pedagogy in writing classes of Turkish EFL learners. Participatory Educational Research, 9(6), 41-65.
Kaufhold, K. (2023). Transnational postgraduate students’ experience of voice and participation. Applied Linguistics Review, 14(1), 1-23.
Kim, S. (2022). ‘Nabewa nabedayo!’: Foreign faculty members’ perceived need to learn the students’ L1. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(4), 1417-1432.
Kiramba, L. K., & Harris, V. J. (2018). Navigating authoritative discourses in a multilingual classroom: Conversations with policy and practice. TESOL Quarterly, 53(2), 456-481.
Kuteeva, M. (2020). Revisiting the ‘E’ in EMI: Students’ perceptions of standard English, lingua franca and translingual practices. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(3), 287-300.
Kwihangana, F. (2021). Enhancing EFL students’ participation through translanguaging. ELT Journal, 75(1), 87-96.
Li, W. (2011). Moment analysis and translanguaging space: Discursive construction of identities by multilingual Chinese youth in Britain. Journal of Pragmatics, 43(5), 1222-1235.
Li, W. (2018). Translanguaging as a practical theory of language. Applied Linguistics, 39(1), 9-30.
Lin, A. M. Y. (2020). Introduction: Translanguaging and translanguaging pedagogies. In V. Vaish (Ed.), Translanguaging in multilingual English classrooms (pp. 1-9). Springer Nature Singapore.
Martin-Beltrán, M., Guzman, N. L., & Chen, P. J. (2017). ‘Let’s think about it together:’ How teachers differentiate discourse to mediate collaboration among linguistically diverse students. Language Awareness, 26(1), 41-58.
Mbirimi-Hungwe, V. (2019). Stepping beyond linguistic boundaries in multilingual Science education: Lecturer’s perceptions of the use of translanguaging. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 37(1), 15-26.
Mendoza, A., & Parba, J. (2018). Thwarted: Relinquishing educator beliefs to understand translanguaging from learners’ point of view. International Journal of Multilingualism, 16(3), 270-285.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & The PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Med, 6(7), e1000097.
Nguyen, T. T. T. (2019). Translanguaging as trans-identity: The case of ethnic minority students in Vietnam. Lingua, 222, 39-52.
Ou, W. A., Gu, M. M., & Hult, F. M. (2023). Translanguaging for intercultural communication in international higher education: Transcending English as a lingua franca. International Journal of Multilingualism, 20(2), 576-594.
Palfreyman, D. M., & Al-Bataineh, A. (2018). ‘This is my life style, Arabic and English’: Students’ attitudes to (trans)languaging in a bilingual university context. Language Awareness, 27(1-2), 79-95.
Parra, M. O., & Proctor, C. P. (2021). Translanguaging to understand language. TESOL Quarterly, 55(3), 766-794.
Wang, D. (2016). Translanguaging in Chinese foreign language classrooms: Students and teachers’ attitudes and practices. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(2), 138-149.
Wang, D. (2020). Studying Chinese language in higher education: The translanguaging reality through learners’ eyes. System, 95, 102394.
Williams, C. (1994). An evaluation of teaching and learning methods in the context of bilingual secondary education [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Wales, Bangor.
Yasar Yuzlu, M., & Dikilitas, K. (2022). Translanguaging in the development of EFL learners’ foreign language skills in Turkish context. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 16(2), 176-190.
Yuan, R., & Yang, M. (2020). Towards an understanding of translanguaging in EMI teacher education classrooms. Language Teaching Research, 27(4), 884-906.
Zhang, X., & Hadjioannou, X. (2022). Chinese graduate students’ translanguaging practice in the context of academic writing in English. Applied Linguistics Review, 13(3), 373-388.
Zhou, X., & Mann, S. (2021). Translanguaging in a Chinese university CLIL classroom: Teacher strategies and student attitudes. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 11(2), 265-289.
Downloads
Published
2024-07-31
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Teachers’ and students’ beliefs about translanguaging in higher education: A systematic review. (2024). Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS), 9(2), 402-419. https://doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol9iss2pp402-419
