Translanguaging in higher education in the US: leveraging students’ bilingualism

Abstract

ABSTRACT This case study explored how the translanguaging stance of two instructors from different disciplines was reflected in their course design, instructional decision-making, and interactions with students at a large Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in the state of Texas in the United States. The results of the study revealed that the instructors enacted a translanguaging stance in their syllabi and course design. The instructors used translanguaging pedagogies intentionally and purposefully in response to their students’ linguistic diversity, opening translanguaging spaces through their use of language for teaching. As a result, students’ bilingualism and biliteracy were promoted and leveraged to maximize their learning. The results of the study show how instructors in HSIs play a key role in the development of a linguistically inclusive approach to instruction in higher education.