Translanguaging in an EFL classroom discourse: To what extent it is helpful for the students?

Communications in Humanities and Social Sciences 1(1) (2021) 42-46 COMMUNICATIONS IN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Homepage: chss.kipmi.or.id Translanguaging in an EFL classroom discourse: To what extent it is helpful for the students? Dinda Gusti Ayu Berlianti, Intan Pradita* Department of English Language Education, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta 55584, Indonesia Article history: Received: 13 June 2021 / Received in revised form: 27 June 2021 / Accepted: 28 June 2021 Abstract Translanguaging is a tool for bilingual or multilingual to learn more than one language. In the field of linguistic, translanguaging is not something new. However, its implementation is still found rare in higher education. To fill this void, this study aims to investigate the implementation of translanguaging in classroom, especially in higher education. This research was intended to answer how helpful translanguaging practices in EFL Classroom is. By using qualitative method, the data were collected by recording two credits full face-to-face classroom interaction. One lecturer and her forty-five students voluntarily became the research participants. The data were then analyzed by using thematic analysis. The findings showed that the practices were helpful in a way that the tutors could build an engaging dialogue for the students, enabling them to understand the complex learning materials. These findings then implied that in the teaching and learning process, EFL lecturers tend to be more attentive as they prefer to have their students understanding on complex subject to build English proficiency of their students’. Keywords: translanguaging; code-switching; higher education. 1. Introduction The current empirical evidence of translanguaging practice in English as Foreign Languages classroom focuses on supporting the teaching of a multilingual student on students; language practices, especially on immigrant students (Daniel & Pacheco, 2016). Translanguaging has been intended to be a way of acknowledging the students’ language practices more flexible and dynamic, and as a means to influence the meaningmaking communicative system of all students at the beginning of school (Garcia, Ofelia; Wei, 2018). In addition, translanguaging has some pedagogical strategies, which make the bilingual students and lecturer engaged in a knowledge construction through the flexible use of their linguistic repertoire irrespective of what named languages they now (Garcia ; Wei, 2018). On the other hand, translanguaging in the classroom is potential to deepen an understanding on socio-political engagement, develop critical thinking, and extend metalinguistic awareness and cross-linguistic flexibility. Moreover, it can engage between the lecturer and students (Creese & Blackledge, 2015). It can then be stated that translanguaging brings a positive impact as an approach in the classroom. Currently, the application of English language in Corresponding author. Email: https://doi.org/10.21924/chss.1.1.2021.14 Indonesia attracts a special attention. Many people have used it from elementary school until university. Moreover, English becomes a subject that is included in the national exam. In its implementation, translanguaging practice helps the English language learning in the context of EFL classroom in Indonesia (Rasman, 2018). In Indonesia, most English lecturers have employed Bahasa Indonesia and English as translanguaging practice and some lecturer have used the regional languages (Javanese, or Sudanese). The previous studies revealed that the use of translanguaging practice in the classroom has been examined by some higher education based upon the perspective of the immigrant students from Panjabi. As one of the immigrant students in Birmingham, translanguaging is perceived as a practice that can engage learners (Creese & Blackledge, 2015). A similar case is found in United States where translanguaging was used to support students’ practice and the lecturer should make some efforts to implement translanguaging to know their students (Daniel & Pacheco, 2016). Although it has been a study on translanguaging in a higher education context, it is still in the context of diploma degree students. However, studies about Translanguaging in EFL under graduate classroom are still rarely found. Thus, to fill the gap, the researcher would extend the discussion on practical level of translanguaging in classroom discourses. This research clarified two questions: 1) What types of translanguaging practices that have been prominently used by EFL lecturer in the classroom? © 2021 KIPMI Berlianti, et al. / Communications in Humanities and Social Sciences 1(1) (2021) 42–46 2) To what extent translanguaging practices are helpful for EFL undergraduate students? 1.1. Translanguaging practices The term translanguaging is a concept of communication that uses more than one language. This is emphasized by Canagarajah (2011) submitting that translanguaging makes multilingual communication more varied, dynamic, and independent than monolingual. Rasman (2018) stated that the concept of translanguaging reflects some significant changes in conceptualization and multilingual language that emphasize on the importance of using a full linguistic repertoire. In addition, translanguaging in the classroom has a meaning in a process in which the students and the lecturer can engage in developing the new language practices (Creese & Blackdge, 2015). Thus, Translanguaging is an increasingly important area in the applied linguistics and classroom practices. Tse (1996) stated that translanguaging practices include code-switching, language brokering, translation and interpreting. Li and Tse (2002) stated that code-switching has focused on a spontaneous conversation and is written in two different languages. As argued by Moore (2002) there are two functions of codeswitching, i.e. first, to clarify the fact that they understand each other at the communicative level from convergence to student language selections, and that students do response questions and therefore do their work as students, and second, when the classroom has a rule, which entitles to use of the second language. As stated by Hoffman (2014) there are four types of codeswitching: (a) Inter-sentential switching that is when the speaker starts with first language in completed sentence and then switch the next sentence in other language; (b) Intrasentential switching that is when the speaker switches from one language to other language at clause, phrase, or word level within a single utterance; (c) Tag switching that is when the speaker switches only insertion of a word or tag in one language in a sentence, which is entirely in other language (like you know, so, I mean, right?) and (d) Establishing continuity with the previous speaker that is when the speaker continues to speak the most recently language used because of a triggered effect. The previous study by Moore (2010) emphasiz (...truncated)