‘People are already doing it’: Malaysian English language teachers’ perceptions on translanguaging

ABSTRACT This study argues for adoption of a translanguaging lens in Malaysian English language classrooms because translanguaging practices are considered scaffolding tools in teaching and learning of the language. This argument was derived from a case study which used interviews with seven Malaysian secondary school English language teachers. The objectives of this study were to examine the teachers’ views on translanguaging using learners’ home languages and their report practices. Four themes emerged from this study: ‘Tapestry of language profile in the Malaysian classroom’, ‘Judicious use of other languages in the classroom’, ‘Limited features of spontaneous translanguaging’ and ‘Challenges integrating translanguaging in Malaysian English language classrooms’. The proposal of adopting a translanguaging lens was based on the reported translanguaging practices which were rooted in the Malaysian multilingual classrooms among the sample. Despite the silence on plurilingualism and translanguaging in the Malaysian English language policy and curriculum, teachers have been practising it surreptitiously.