The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/1379045
@Linguist_CIOL JUNE/JULY The Linguist 25 FEATURES French as a Second Language (FSL) classroom in Toronto, I adapted Canagarajah's assignment by asking my students (aged 11- 14) to introduce aspects of their identity using words and expressions in English, French and their own mother tongues. Although most students drew only on French or English, one also used Arabic, images and symbols to tell a story about her age, hobbies, family life and favourite subjects. This is just one example of a wide range of translingual activities that language teachers can design to place the complete linguistic repertoire of students at the centre of language learning. Recent translanguaging research highlights a useful three-step pedagogy that begins with teachers affirming a positive stance toward translingualism – that it is valued in the classroom. 5 Then teachers design language tasks that fit students' linguistic practices, and finally shift their teaching to adapt instruction to the needs of students more generally. While this approach widens linguistic opportunities for students in the languages classroom, it is by no means fixed, and this is important. Each class and superdiverse context has unique linguistic needs. Therefore, flexibility and a context-driven approach are key to avoiding the replacement of a single translingual method with another. Anti-bias teacher training Implementing a translingual approach to language education calls for a fundamental change in the beliefs and practices of teachers and teacher trainers. This begins with reflective practice. 6 Teacher training programmes, professional development and professional learning communities in schools are required. These ask teachers to transform the bias they bring to the classroom that contributes to the suppression of alternative language forms. 7 This means recognising that language learning is not simply linear and preconceived but also messy, multi-modal and process-based. Anti-bias teacher training begins by exploring how our biases affect our teaching practices. Reflecting on how we perceive the way in which languages should be learnt and what constitutes 'linguistic competence' in terms of the four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) is a necessary first step to transformative language practices. Received ideologies of what constitute 'good' and 'acceptable' pronunciation, orthography and syntax all need to be revisited as they should not be the only quality criteria in a translingual classroom. To acknowledge alternative forms of communicating is to acknowledge that alternative ways of being, knowing and acting exist that can go against the dominant linguistic forms and social structures that limit language learner identities. This builds on the work of many state school boards in superdiverse Canadian cities. Reflecting on the pedagogic practices of colonialism, and extending these conversations to the context of language learning, can also promote more democratic ways of communicating. This cannot occur without the input of our students, who can help to pinpoint how we perpetuate or interrupt linguistic barriers. This means examining how linguistic discrimination, in policy and in practice, is experienced by language learners. Only then can we begin to define linguistic discrimination and identify examples of these practices in order to conceptualise transformative language tasks. Anti-bias teacher training depends on having courageous conversations. Leaning into the discomfort we feel when we talk about difference and discrimination is something we, as educators, need to do if we are to teach to more socially just aims. Notes 1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCMXKt5vRQk 2 See Norton, B (2000) Identity and Language Learning: Gender, ethnicity and educational change, Pearson: Harlow 3 Pennycook, A and Otsuji, E (2015) Metrolingualism: Language in the city, Routledge: New York 4 Canagarajah, S (2013) Translingual Practice: Global Englishes and cosmopolitan relations, Routledge: New York 5 García, O and Kleyn, T (2016) Translanguaging with Multilingual Students: Learning from classroom moments, Routledge: New York 6 Liu, JE, Yuen, YL and Lin, AMY (2020) 'Translanguaging Pedagogy in Teaching English for Academic Purposes: Researcher-teacher collaboration as a professional development model'. In System, 92 7 Ontario's Equity and Inclusion Strategy (2009) www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/Equity.pdf