Construyendo Puentes

Abstract

This paper reports a comparative case study between two distinct community literacy research sites in the United States. Both sites undertook bilingual reading and writing projects in English and Spanish with children, one in a public library and the other in a community center writing program. Over time, these two unrelated projects took a translanguaging turn, and this paper compares and analyzes how translanguaging operated at each site, especially as researchers attempted to promote Spanish. We documented common affordances such as mirroring community language practices and creating inclusive, participatory environments. The comparison also revealed limitations, such as translanguaging’s limited ability to resist the societal dominance of English and challenges associated with enacting translanguaging in programs facing high staff and participant turnover. The study suggests the potential of translanguaging approaches in community literacy projects while also documenting areas for researchers and educators to approach translanguaging work thoughtfully to ensure it meets their program goals.