Translanguaging and Spatial Repertoire: Academic Information Literacies of Multilingual International Doctoral Students

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of the academic information literacy practices of two Chinese international doctoral students in the United States, drawing on the theoretical concepts of translanguaging and spatial repertoire. This investigation is situated within and against the deficit discourses surrounding the information literacy of international students, especially those who use English as a second language in western English-dominated academia. Using phenomenological interviewing, weekly information-seeking diaries, and focus group data, the study shows that these two students gather online information in multiple information ecosystems through the mobilization of multiple languages and diverse spatial repertoires. The results highlight the role of situated assemblages of linguistic, semiotic, and multimodal resources for successful information seeking and call for an expanded conceptualization of information literacy for multilingual international students. This paper concludes with a discussion on the importance of adopting an asset-based perspective when examining the information literacy of these students and provides recommendations for faculties, librarians, and research supervisors to consider when designing information literacy education for multilingual international doctoral students.