Pedagogical implications of translingual practices for content and language integrated learning

Abstract

Abstract This case study explores the pedagogical implications of translingual practices for Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The case study examines how a multilingual undergraduate student at a Sino-U.S. joint-venture university in China employs translingual practices to understand, deepen, and broaden her understanding of research content and improve her academic writing with different language resources. Specifically, this study investigated how translingual practices were used and perceived to improve content development and language learning in a CLIL context and discussed how translingual practices could be implemented for CLIL. The results show that translingual practices facilitated content learning by allowing the student to use her full linguistic repertoire and helped her scaffold the understanding of new concepts and vocabulary. In addition, translingual practices enhanced the student’s language learning by exposing her to different linguistic structures, conventions, and vocabulary, and promoting a more inclusive and equitable learning environment. These findings suggest that incorporating translingual practices into educational settings, particularly in CLIL contexts, can lead to more effective and equitable learning outcomes for multilingual students.