“They are. Bilingual.”: Manifestations of bilanguaging love in a dual language bilingual classroom

ABSTRACT Translanguaging, the fluid and dynamic language practices of bilinguals, reimagines language learning and offers the possibility of a more equitable academic experience for active bilingual students of Color, which was the impetus for our inquiry. This article presents the findings of an ethnographic study conducted in a second-grade dual-language classroom that focused on how bilanguaging love is manifested through the perspectives and approaches to translanguaging of bilingual students and their bilingual teacher. Drawing on the concepts of translanguaging and bilanguaging love, we present two main findings: (1) Generative translanguaging perspectives, and (2) Confronting tensions with and through translanguaging. The findings have important implications for translanguaging implementation in bilingual spaces and recognizing that the work involved in this approach is sustained by love for and with bilingual students and communities of Color.