Balancing Language Learning with Translanguaging: Insights from Yunnan Agricultural University
Main Article Content
Keywords
Translanguaging, second language acquisition, pedagogy strategies, English language classes, Yunnan Agricultural University
Abstract
This study investigates the strategic application of translanguaging in English classes at Yunnan Agricultural University, a context marked by significant linguistic diversity and socio-economic challenges that have been underexplored. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to provide comprehensive analysis. Grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which emphasizes the importance of social interaction and cultural context in cognitive development, the study reveals that translanguaging significantly enhances comprehension and reduces stress for students across varying levels of English proficiency. However, it also identifies potential risks associated with excessive reliance on native languages, which may hinder the development of critical cognitive abilities necessary for English language acquisition. The findings underscore the importance of a balanced approach to translanguaging, where strategies are carefully adapted to the unique linguistic, cultural, and institutional contexts of learners. This research highlights the need for further exploration into how translanguaging strategies can be optimized to support both critical thinking and language comprehension in diverse educational settings.
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References
Abu, S. M. R., & Anne, M. M. (2022). Translanguaging as a transformative act in a reading classroom: perspectives from a Bangladeshi Private University. Journal of Language, Identity & Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2021.2004894
Astika, G. (2013). The role of needs analysis in English for specific purposes. TEFLIN Journal, 10(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v10i1/31-47
Baker, C. (1994). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. The Modern Language Journal, 78(3), 390-391. https://doi.org/10.2307/330123
Cen, W. (1994). Arfarniad o Ddulliau Dysgu ac Addysgu yng Nghyd-destun Addysg Uwchradd Ddwyieithog, [An evaluation of teaching and learning methods in the context of bilingual secondary education]. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis (University of Wales, Bangor). https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/files/20574535/null.
Christina P. D. (2019) The role of translanguaging in establishing schools belonging for emergent multilinguals. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(9), 967-984, https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2019.1602364
Dafna, Y., Michal, T., & Elana, S. (2022). Shared Education’ and translanguaging; students at Jewish and Arab schools learning English together. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(3), 1033-1048. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1740164
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 336. https://thuvienso.hoasen.edu.vn/handle/123456789/14893
Education First. (2023). English Proficiency Index Report. Shanghai: Signum International AG. ef-epi-2023-chinese.pdf
Fang, F., & Liu, Y. (2020). ‘Using all English is not always meaningful’: Stakeholders’ perspectives on the use of and attitudes towards translanguaging at a Chinese university. Lingua, 247, 102959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2020.102959
García, O. (2009). Bilingual education in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9841.2009.00423_7.x
García, O., & Li, W. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137385765
García, O. (2017). Translanguaging in schools: Subiendo y Bajando, Bajando y Subiendo as Afterword. Journal of Language, 16(4), 256-263. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2017.1329657
Hansen, T. H., Stewart, M. A., Flint, P., & Dollar, T. (2020). Co-learning in the High School English Class through Translanguaging: Emergent Bilingual Newcomers and Monolingual Teachers. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 20(3), 151–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2020.1726759
Huang, X., & Chalmers, H. (2023). Implementation and Effects of Pedagogical Translanguaging in EFL Classrooms: A Systematic Review. Languages, 8(3), 194. MDPI AG.https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/languages8030194
Jack, K. H. P., & Kevin, W. H. T. (2021): Doing science through translanguaging: a study of translanguaging practices in secondary English as a medium of instruction science laboratory sessions, International Journal of Science Education, 43(7), 1112-1139.https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.1902015
Uddling, J. & Warren, R. A. (2023). A newcomer’s spontaneous translanguaging in lower-secondary physics education. International Multilingual Research Journal, 17(3), 270–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2023.2208508
Kavitha, A. N. (2014). Teachers’ attitudes towards and uses of translanguaging in English language classrooms in Iowa. Graduate Theses and Dissertations, 14230. https://doi.org/10.31274/etd-180810-3781
Khairuunisa, K., & Iwa, L. (2020). Instructors’ Attitudes towards Translanguaging in Indonesian EFL Classrooms. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan, 20(2), 254-266. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpp.v20i2.27046
Kevin W. H. T. (2024). Classroom interactional competence in an English medium instruction mathematics classroom: A creation of a technology-mediated translanguaging space. Learning and Instruction, 85, 101849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2023.101849
Kevin W. H. T. (2024a): Transpositioning in English medium instruction classroom discourse: insights from a translanguaging perspective, Language and Education,1–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2024.2382748
Kiramba, L. K. (2017). Translanguaging in the writing of Emergent multilinguals. International Multilingual Research Journal, 112, 115-130. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2016.1239457
Lewis, G., Jones, B., & Baker, C. (2012). Translanguaging origins and development from school to street and beyond. Educational Research and Evaluation, 18(7), 641-654. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2012.718488
Li, W. (2014). Translanguaging funds of knowledge and identity in complementary classrooms for multilingual minority ethnic children. Classroom Discourse, 5(2),158-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/19463014.2014.893896
Likert, R. (1932). “A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes”. Archives of Psychology. 140: 1-55.
Linda, M. E. (2002). One Child, Two Languages: A Guide for Preschool Educators of Children Learning English as a Second Language. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 17, 138–140. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2006(02)00126-6
Liu, Y., & Fan, F. (2022). Translanguaging Theory and Practice: How Stakeholders Perceive Translanguaging as a Practical Theory of Language. RELC Journal, 53(2) 391 –399. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220939222
Muhammet, Y. Y., & Kenan, D. (2021). Translanguaging in the development of EFL learners’ foreign language skills in Turkish context. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 16(2), 176-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2021.1892698
Muhammet, Y. Y., & Kenan, D. (2022a). Translanguaging as a way to fostering EFL learners’ criticality in a hybrid course design. System, 110, 102926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102926
Muhammet, Y. Y., & Kenan, D. (2022b). The impact of translanguaging-driven training on in-service EFL teachers: Complexity theory prism. Linguistics and Education, 71, 101080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2022.101080
Feller, N. P. (2022) Translanguaging and scaffolding as pedagogical strategies in a primary bilingual classroom, Classroom Discourse, 13:3, 312-335, https://doi.org/10.1080/19463014.2021.1954960
Robillos, R. J., & Art-in, S. (2023). Argument mapping with translanguaging pedagogy: A panacea for EFL students’ challenges in writing argumentative essays. International Journal of Instruction, 16(4), 651-672. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2023.16437a
Sarah, G., Cristian, R., & Ashley, D. (2015). Translanguaging in an infant classroom: using multiple languages to make meaning. International Multilingual Research Journal, 9(3), 177-196. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2015.1048542
Sara, H., Keith, M. G., & Zohreh, R. E. (2021). EMI and the International Branch Campus: Examining Language Ideologies, Policies, and Practices. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 44(2), 229-252. https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.20093.hil
Seals, C. (2021). Benefits of Translanguaging Pedagogy and Practice. Scottish Languages Review, 36, 1-8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354616492_Benefits_of_Translanguaging_Pedagogy_and_Practice/references
Szabó, T. P., Castañe, B. L., Jani-Demetriou, B., & Kerekes-Lévai, E. (2023). Creating translanguaging space through schools cape design and reflective practices. In Multilingualism in Education: From Policy to Practice (pp. 195-218). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110769609-012
Takaki, N. H. (2019). Towards Translanguaging with Students at Public School: multimodal and transcultural aspects in meaning making. Calidoscópio, 17(1), 163-183. https://doi.org/10.4013/cld.2019.171.09
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4
Wang, P. (2021). A case study of translanguaging phenomenon in CBI classes in a Chinese university context. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 31(1), 95-108. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12324
Wang, P. (2022). Relooking at the Roles of Translanguaging in English as a Foreign Language Classes for Multilingual Learners: Practices and Implications. Frontiers in Psychology, 13，850649. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.850649
Xiong, Y. Y. (2019). A study of teacher code-switching in the classroom of English postgraduates from the perspective of translanguaging. Advances in Education, 9(6), 665-671. https://doi.org/10.12677/ae.2019.96108
Yunnan, A. U. (2021). Yunnan Agricultural University 2020-2021 Academic Year Undergraduate Teaching Quality Report. Kunming: Yunnan Agricultural University. 8840_2021-11-15090955.pdf
Zhang, X. & Hadjioannou, X. (2022). Chinese graduate students’ translanguaging practice in the context of academic writing in English. Applied Linguistics Review, 13(3), 373-388. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2021-0020
Zhou, X., Li, C., & Gao, X. (2021). Towards a sustainable classroom ecology: translanguaging in English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in a finance course at an international school in Shanghai. Sustainability. 13, 10719. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910719
Zhou, X. Z., Xiaoling, Huang, X. L., & He, J. L. (2020). Translanguaging in L3 Spanish Classrooms: Practices and Attitudes. Shen, Qi and Xuesong (Andy) Gao (eds.) Multilingualism in Chinese Universities. Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación, 84, 65-75. https://doi.org/10.5209/clac.71996
Astika, G. (2013). The role of needs analysis in English for specific purposes. TEFLIN Journal, 10(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v10i1/31-47
Baker, C. (1994). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. The Modern Language Journal, 78(3), 390-391. https://doi.org/10.2307/330123
Cen, W. (1994). Arfarniad o Ddulliau Dysgu ac Addysgu yng Nghyd-destun Addysg Uwchradd Ddwyieithog, [An evaluation of teaching and learning methods in the context of bilingual secondary education]. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis (University of Wales, Bangor). https://research.bangor.ac.uk/portal/files/20574535/null.
Christina P. D. (2019) The role of translanguaging in establishing schools belonging for emergent multilinguals. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(9), 967-984, https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2019.1602364
Dafna, Y., Michal, T., & Elana, S. (2022). Shared Education’ and translanguaging; students at Jewish and Arab schools learning English together. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(3), 1033-1048. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1740164
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 336. https://thuvienso.hoasen.edu.vn/handle/123456789/14893
Education First. (2023). English Proficiency Index Report. Shanghai: Signum International AG. ef-epi-2023-chinese.pdf
Fang, F., & Liu, Y. (2020). ‘Using all English is not always meaningful’: Stakeholders’ perspectives on the use of and attitudes towards translanguaging at a Chinese university. Lingua, 247, 102959. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2020.102959
García, O. (2009). Bilingual education in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9841.2009.00423_7.x
García, O., & Li, W. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137385765
García, O. (2017). Translanguaging in schools: Subiendo y Bajando, Bajando y Subiendo as Afterword. Journal of Language, 16(4), 256-263. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2017.1329657
Hansen, T. H., Stewart, M. A., Flint, P., & Dollar, T. (2020). Co-learning in the High School English Class through Translanguaging: Emergent Bilingual Newcomers and Monolingual Teachers. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 20(3), 151–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2020.1726759
Huang, X., & Chalmers, H. (2023). Implementation and Effects of Pedagogical Translanguaging in EFL Classrooms: A Systematic Review. Languages, 8(3), 194. MDPI AG.https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/languages8030194
Jack, K. H. P., & Kevin, W. H. T. (2021): Doing science through translanguaging: a study of translanguaging practices in secondary English as a medium of instruction science laboratory sessions, International Journal of Science Education, 43(7), 1112-1139.https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.1902015
Uddling, J. & Warren, R. A. (2023). A newcomer’s spontaneous translanguaging in lower-secondary physics education. International Multilingual Research Journal, 17(3), 270–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2023.2208508
Kavitha, A. N. (2014). Teachers’ attitudes towards and uses of translanguaging in English language classrooms in Iowa. Graduate Theses and Dissertations, 14230. https://doi.org/10.31274/etd-180810-3781
Khairuunisa, K., & Iwa, L. (2020). Instructors’ Attitudes towards Translanguaging in Indonesian EFL Classrooms. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan, 20(2), 254-266. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpp.v20i2.27046
Kevin W. H. T. (2024). Classroom interactional competence in an English medium instruction mathematics classroom: A creation of a technology-mediated translanguaging space. Learning and Instruction, 85, 101849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2023.101849
Kevin W. H. T. (2024a): Transpositioning in English medium instruction classroom discourse: insights from a translanguaging perspective, Language and Education,1–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2024.2382748
Kiramba, L. K. (2017). Translanguaging in the writing of Emergent multilinguals. International Multilingual Research Journal, 112, 115-130. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2016.1239457
Lewis, G., Jones, B., & Baker, C. (2012). Translanguaging origins and development from school to street and beyond. Educational Research and Evaluation, 18(7), 641-654. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2012.718488
Li, W. (2014). Translanguaging funds of knowledge and identity in complementary classrooms for multilingual minority ethnic children. Classroom Discourse, 5(2),158-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/19463014.2014.893896
Likert, R. (1932). “A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes”. Archives of Psychology. 140: 1-55.
Linda, M. E. (2002). One Child, Two Languages: A Guide for Preschool Educators of Children Learning English as a Second Language. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 17, 138–140. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0885-2006(02)00126-6
Liu, Y., & Fan, F. (2022). Translanguaging Theory and Practice: How Stakeholders Perceive Translanguaging as a Practical Theory of Language. RELC Journal, 53(2) 391 –399. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220939222
Muhammet, Y. Y., & Kenan, D. (2021). Translanguaging in the development of EFL learners’ foreign language skills in Turkish context. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 16(2), 176-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2021.1892698
Muhammet, Y. Y., & Kenan, D. (2022a). Translanguaging as a way to fostering EFL learners’ criticality in a hybrid course design. System, 110, 102926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102926
Muhammet, Y. Y., & Kenan, D. (2022b). The impact of translanguaging-driven training on in-service EFL teachers: Complexity theory prism. Linguistics and Education, 71, 101080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2022.101080
Feller, N. P. (2022) Translanguaging and scaffolding as pedagogical strategies in a primary bilingual classroom, Classroom Discourse, 13:3, 312-335, https://doi.org/10.1080/19463014.2021.1954960
Robillos, R. J., & Art-in, S. (2023). Argument mapping with translanguaging pedagogy: A panacea for EFL students’ challenges in writing argumentative essays. International Journal of Instruction, 16(4), 651-672. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2023.16437a
Sarah, G., Cristian, R., & Ashley, D. (2015). Translanguaging in an infant classroom: using multiple languages to make meaning. International Multilingual Research Journal, 9(3), 177-196. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19313152.2015.1048542
Sara, H., Keith, M. G., & Zohreh, R. E. (2021). EMI and the International Branch Campus: Examining Language Ideologies, Policies, and Practices. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 44(2), 229-252. https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.20093.hil
Seals, C. (2021). Benefits of Translanguaging Pedagogy and Practice. Scottish Languages Review, 36, 1-8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354616492_Benefits_of_Translanguaging_Pedagogy_and_Practice/references
Szabó, T. P., Castañe, B. L., Jani-Demetriou, B., & Kerekes-Lévai, E. (2023). Creating translanguaging space through schools cape design and reflective practices. In Multilingualism in Education: From Policy to Practice (pp. 195-218). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110769609-012
Takaki, N. H. (2019). Towards Translanguaging with Students at Public School: multimodal and transcultural aspects in meaning making. Calidoscópio, 17(1), 163-183. https://doi.org/10.4013/cld.2019.171.09
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4
Wang, P. (2021). A case study of translanguaging phenomenon in CBI classes in a Chinese university context. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 31(1), 95-108. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12324
Wang, P. (2022). Relooking at the Roles of Translanguaging in English as a Foreign Language Classes for Multilingual Learners: Practices and Implications. Frontiers in Psychology, 13，850649. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.850649
Xiong, Y. Y. (2019). A study of teacher code-switching in the classroom of English postgraduates from the perspective of translanguaging. Advances in Education, 9(6), 665-671. https://doi.org/10.12677/ae.2019.96108
Yunnan, A. U. (2021). Yunnan Agricultural University 2020-2021 Academic Year Undergraduate Teaching Quality Report. Kunming: Yunnan Agricultural University. 8840_2021-11-15090955.pdf
Zhang, X. & Hadjioannou, X. (2022). Chinese graduate students’ translanguaging practice in the context of academic writing in English. Applied Linguistics Review, 13(3), 373-388. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2021-0020
Zhou, X., Li, C., & Gao, X. (2021). Towards a sustainable classroom ecology: translanguaging in English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in a finance course at an international school in Shanghai. Sustainability. 13, 10719. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910719
Zhou, X. Z., Xiaoling, Huang, X. L., & He, J. L. (2020). Translanguaging in L3 Spanish Classrooms: Practices and Attitudes. Shen, Qi and Xuesong (Andy) Gao (eds.) Multilingualism in Chinese Universities. Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación, 84, 65-75. https://doi.org/10.5209/clac.71996
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Mar 21, 2025
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Xin, K., & Yap, T. T. (2025). Balancing Language Learning with Translanguaging: Insights from Yunnan Agricultural University. Jurnal Arbitrer, 12(1), 27–39. https://doi.org/10.25077/ar.12.1.27-39.2025
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Author Biographies
Ke Xin, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Xin KE is currently a PhD candidate doing her research on Pragmatics at Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She obtained her master’s degree in English language studies, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya. Her main interest is the mock impoliteness in Pragmatics, particularly jocular abuse.
Teng Teng Yap, Universiti Malaya
Teng Teng YAP is a senior lecturer at Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya. She was a program coordinator of Chinese Program at the Department of Malaysian Languages and Applied Linguistics. Her main research interests are Global Chinese and teaching Chinese as a second language (CSL), including CSL learners’ attitudes, motivations, and the implications of the spread of Chinese language.