Digital Service-Learning: Creating Translanguaging Spaces for Emergent Bilinguals’ Literacy Learning and Culturally Responsive Family Engagement in Mainstream Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

Although the number of emergent bilinguals (EBs), also known as English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. K-12 schools is growing at an increasing rate, K-12 mainstream teachers remain predominantly white and monolingual and receive little training for working with such learners. In addition, many states mandate “English-only” policies that prevent EBs from accessing grade-level content and academic language. Given digital inequalities, remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may put them even further behind academically. Moreover, EBs may not have adequate at-home parental support to develop language skills in literacy. Recent studies (García & Li, 2014) have indicated that translanguaging offers great potential to close the academic achievement gap and facilitate home-school connections by embracing EB students’ home language and culture. This article discusses a qualitative participatory action research study that examined how monolingual elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) constructed a translanguaging stance and enacted it in a digital service-learning (DSL) setting in an undergraduate ESOL methods course at a southeastern university in the U.S. The article also offers insights into curriculum development and implementation as to preparing monolingual mainstream PSTs to support linguistically and culturally diverse students and families through translanguaging.