Training, Research, and Innovation Center

Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program 2026-2027

Eligible Teaching Subjects

English
Math
Science
Social Studies
Special Education (in any of the above subjects)

See more at https://usefnepal.org/fulbright/other-grant-programs/fulbright-teaching-excellence-and-achievement-program/program-introduction/

A must-read article for qualitative researchers

Frontiers | Data collection methods in qualitative research: researchers' reflections This article explores qualitative data collection methods based on researchers' experiences, integrating established techniques with culturally situated inno...

Call for papers for Volume 3, Issue 1 of the Journal of ELE Praxis, a journal published by the Department of Language Education- School of Education, KU. Submit your articles through [email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FCAi6KhB4/

Journal of Educational Research in South Asia, a journal being published by the South Asian Center for Teacher Development (SACTD) in Sri Lanka, is accepting journal articles for publication. I encourage my colleagues and students to grab this opportunity.
As it is an interdisciplinary journal, any articles on educational issues are accepted.

Admission Open | MPhil in English Language Education
https://emis.kusoed.edu.np/
...................................
Who can apply?
Applicants with a Master’s degree in English Literature, Linguistics, Language Studies, or English Language Education (minimum 50% or CGPA 3.0/4).
Research publication in a relevant field is an added advantage.

Important Dates:
....................................
Final Date of Form Submission: December 20, 2025
Written Test: December 26, 2025
Interview: December 27, 2025
Admission Due Date: January 15, 2025
Orientation: February 6, 2026

Location: Hattiban, Lalitpur, Nepal

For more information:
+977 9701002617
[email protected]

𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐒𝐋 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠

1. Introduction
Translanguaging has emerged as one of the most pedagogically powerful approaches in multilingual education. It recognizes that multilingual students do not store their languages in isolated compartments but instead use all their linguistic resources as a single, integrated system. In ESL settings, this means students can draw on their first language (L1), their emerging English (L2), and any additional languages to think, process information, express ideas, and communicate effectively.
Instead of restricting students to English-only communication, translanguaging encourages them to use all languages available to them to support learning. This increases accessibility to content, boosts cognitive engagement, and validates students’ linguistic identities. As a result, the classroom becomes a space where language serves as a tool for meaning-making rather than a barrier to participation.
This guide provides a deep examination of the theoretical foundations of translanguaging and offers an extensive collection of classroom activities written in a narrative, detailed format. These activities can be used in primary, secondary, or adult education ESL contexts.
2. Theoretical Foundations
The concept of translanguaging was expanded by García and Li Wei who view multilingualism as a holistic system. They argue that multilingual speakers do not switch between languages; instead, they draw fluidly from a single, interconnected repertoire of linguistic features. This perspective contrasts with traditional second-language teaching approaches that separate languages artificially and discourage the strategic use of an L1.
From Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, translanguaging draws its foundation in the understanding that language mediates thought. When students use their L1 to understand a concept or clarify meaning, they are engaging in deeper cognitive processing. The “zone of proximal development” becomes easier to access when students do not face linguistic obstacles while trying to comprehend a new idea.
The “funds of knowledge” framework developed by Moll and colleagues further supports translanguaging by recognizing that learners bring with them valuable cultural and linguistic backgrounds that can enhance classroom learning. Translanguaging activates these resources rather than suppressing them.
3. Principles of Effective Translanguaging Implementation
To integrate translanguaging in ESL instruction effectively, teachers need to establish purposeful strategies rather than allowing unstructured L1 use. The goal is to design classroom spaces where students may use any language during inquiry, idea formation, or collaboration, while still directing them to produce coherent work in English. This promotes English development without disregarding the role of other languages in scaffolding comprehension.
Teachers need to communicate clearly that translanguaging is a tool that increases understanding, not a replacement for English practice. Students should feel comfortable switching languages for clarification, but also aware that final outputs or performances will require English use. Effective translanguaging relies on planned moments of multilingual support, intentional group structures, and opportunities for reflection about how using multiple languages helped deepen understanding.
4. Activities That Promote Translanguaging
Below is a series of thoroughly developed activities. Each description includes the purpose, process, and examples to illustrate how the activity functions in practice.
Activity 1: Multilingual Brainstorming
In this activity, the teacher introduces a new topic, such as climate change, festivals, or daily routines. Instead of requiring students to brainstorm solely in English, they are encouraged to use any language that helps them activate prior knowledge. Students create mind maps or lists on paper, sometimes combining several languages within the same document. The emphasis is not on producing correct English at this stage, but rather on generating as many ideas as possible.
For example, a student working on the theme of climate change may begin with Arabic or Tamazight words such as “حرارة” or “ⵜⵓⵙⴻⴺⵍⵜ” to refer to heat or environment. After the multilingual brainstorming phase, the class collaborates to convert these concepts into English. Students discuss how to translate or approximate ideas, arriving at English vocabulary such as “heatwaves,” “pollution,” or “renewable energy.” They eventually produce an English-only mind map, but this final product is richer and more detailed because the brainstorming process did not limit their conceptual thinking.
Activity 2: Dual-Language Text Creation
Students begin by reading a short English text such as a paragraph describing a cultural tradition, a scientific phenomenon, or a biographical profile. After reading, they are asked to write a summary in their first language. Writing in the L1 allows them to process the text more deeply, especially if it contains complex ideas.
After completing the L1 summary, students rewrite it entirely in English. During the transition from the first version to the second, they reflect on wording differences, sentence structure, and vocabulary. The activity thus supports content comprehension and English language development simultaneously. For example, a student may write an Arabic summary of a text about Ashura and then convert it into English, discussing how certain cultural concepts are expressed differently in each language.
Activity 3: Multilingual Jigsaw Reading
Traditional jigsaw reading involves assigning different sections of a text to different groups. Translanguaging enhances this activity significantly. Some groups may read their assigned section in English, while others may read a translation or summary in their L1 provided by the teacher or prepared by the students themselves.
Within groups, students discuss and clarify ideas using whichever language they prefer. When groups reassemble into “expert groups,” they must explain their section in English. This allows them to rely on L1 during the comprehension stage but requires them to use English for the communicative stage. This activity is particularly effective for complex content because it ensures all students understand the material before being asked to discuss it in English.
Activity 4: Translanguaging Word Walls
The teacher selects key vocabulary related to an upcoming unit and displays the English words prominently in the classroom. Students are then invited to add translations of these words in their own languages. Over time, the word wall becomes a multilingual resource that supports vocabulary learning. Students may also add example sentences in English to clarify usage.
For example, the English word “environment” might accumulate translations in Arabic, French, and Tamazight, alongside a student-generated sentence such as “The environment is changing quickly due to pollution.” Students begin to see connections between the linguistic structure of their languages and English, reinforcing retention.
Activity 5: Multilingual Role-Plays
Students work in groups to create short dialogues based on situations such as visiting a doctor, ordering food, or attending a job interview. During the planning stage, they may brainstorm and negotiate meaning in their L1. They can also incorporate culturally relevant expressions or ideas. The final performance, however, is delivered in English.
Because the planning phase allows students to use all their languages freely, their dialogues become more authentic, detailed, and creative. They may even intentionally include moments of code-switching during the performance to reflect real-life multilingual interactions. This activity boosts both communicative competence and sociocultural awareness.
Activity 6: Home–School Text Bridging
Students are encouraged to bring short texts from home, such as proverbs, poems, recipes, religious passages, or personal messages. They first share these texts in the original language, providing context about their cultural or familial meaning. The class then works collaboratively to translate the text into English.
For instance, a Moroccan student may bring the proverb “العقل زينة,” and the class discusses how to render it in English. The translation “The mind is a person’s beauty” opens opportunities for cultural discussion and comparative linguistic analysis. This activity affirms students’ identities while developing English literacy.
Activity 7: Translanguaging-Supported Group Projects
For a project such as designing a poster about healthy lifestyle habits or preparing a report on a local environmental issue, students use their L1 and English during the research and planning process. They may gather information from sources in multiple languages and discuss findings among themselves using whatever language is most accessible.
However, the final product—whether a poster, oral presentation, or written report—is created in English. This ensures that while the project benefits from multilingual cognitive scaffolding, the end result aligns with ESL learning goals.
Activity 8: Bilingual Glossary Development
Throughout a unit, students build personal glossaries that contain English terms, definitions in their L1, example sentences, and sometimes drawings or symbols. This ongoing activity helps them internalize vocabulary concepts more effectively than monolingual memorization.
A student studying the theme of nutrition might include the Arabic word “غذاء,” the English equivalent “nutrition,” and an English sentence such as “Good nutrition helps keep the body healthy.” This approach reinforces vocabulary through multiple pathways: semantic meaning, cross-linguistic comparison, and practical usage.
Activity 9: Multilingual Dictogloss
In a dictogloss, the teacher reads a short English text two or three times at a natural pace. Students take notes using any language they prefer. Afterward, students compare their notes in groups and collaboratively reconstruct the text in English.
Because the note-taking phase is multilingual, students focus on meaning rather than on the difficulty of writing in English. During the reconstruction phase, they carefully negotiate language choices and grammar as they attempt to rebuild the original passage. This activity strengthens listening comprehension, grammatical awareness, and translanguaging strategies simultaneously.
Activity 10: Mixed-Language Peer Tutoring
In this activity, students are paired so that a stronger English user can support a peer who needs additional help. The stronger student may explain grammar rules, vocabulary items, or reading instructions using the partner’s L1 if they share a language. If they do not share a language, they may use English, gestures, drawings, or multilingual dictionaries.
The work that pairs produce must be written in English, but the explanatory dialogue may take place in any language. This activity fosters cooperation, increases participation, and provides individualized scaffolding.
Activity 11: Translanguaging Reading Circles
Students work in literature circles with assigned roles such as summarizer, connector, vocabulary finder, or question creator. Some roles explicitly encourage translanguaging. For instance, the summarizer may first write a summary of the chapter in their L1 and then rewrite a more concise version in English. The vocabulary finder may identify words, define them using an L1 explanation, and then provide an English example. The connector may explain how events in the text relate to cultural ideas or experiences from home, bridging language and cultural understanding.
Activity 12: Multilingual Story Retelling
After reading a story in English, students retell the story orally in their first language. This allows them to process the narrative without linguistic strain. Afterward, they retell the story again in English, but this time with simplified vocabulary and structures appropriate to their level. This two-stage process helps them internalize the story’s content before expressing it in English.
5. Assessment Through Translanguaging
Assessment can incorporate translanguaging without compromising English learning goals. Teachers may allow students to annotate texts in their L1, produce preliminary drafts or planning notes in any language, or provide explanations of complex ideas using a mixture of languages before presenting a final English product. In oral exams, they may use their L1 to clarify a difficult concept before restating it in English.
Formative assessments such as journals or reflection logs can also be multilingual, enabling students to think more deeply about their learning processes. Summative tasks such as essays or presentations remain in English, but students may rely on multilingual tools during preparation.
6. Classroom Management for Translanguaging
To manage a translanguaging classroom effectively, teachers need to articulate clear expectations. Students should understand that using their L1 is encouraged when it supports comprehension, discussion, or planning, but the final stages of work will involve English production. The teacher should monitor conversations to ensure that L1 use remains purposeful and related to the task. Mixed-language or same-language grouping should be planned intentionally depending on activity goals.
7. Sample Lesson Plan Expanded Through Translanguaging
A lesson on healthy eating can begin with multilingual brainstorming. Students list foods and habits in any language, and the teacher helps compile an English version on the board. Next, the class reads a short English text about nutrition, with students allowed to discuss difficult sections in their L1. Afterward, groups design a poster that summarizes healthy habits. They may research and take notes in their first language but must write the poster in English. The lesson ends with presentations in English and a reflection activity in which students write about how using multiple languages helped them understand the topic more deeply.
Bibliography
Baker, Colin. Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Multilingual Matters.
Blackledge, Adrian, and Li Wei. Translanguaging and the Body. Bloomsbury.
Creese, Angela, and Blackledge, Adrian. Translanguaging in the Classroom: Theory and Practice.
Cummins, Jim. Language, Power, and Pedagogy. Multilingual Matters.
García, Ofelia. Bilingual Education in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective. Wiley-Blackwell.
García, Ofelia, and Li Wei. Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Hornberger, Nancy. Continua of Biliteracy. Multilingual Matters.
Moll, Luis, Amanti, Cathy, Neff, Debbie, & González, Norma. “Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: A Qualitative Approach to Classroom Practice.”
Wei, Li. The Routledge Handbook of Multilingualism. Routledge.
Williams, Cen. Arfarniad o Ddulliau Dysgu ac Addysgu yn Ysgolion Uwchradd Cyffredinol. Bangor: School of Education.