Power through Translanguaging in Writing Class Discourse: An Indonesian Case Study

Acuity: Journal of English Language Pedagogy, Literature, and Culture. Vol. 10 No. 2, 2025 https://jurnal.unai.edu/index.php/acuity Power through Translanguaging in Writing Class Discourse: An Indonesian Case Study Angga Maulana1 , Wawan Gunawan2, Mahardhika Zifana3 Corresponding Author: Angga Maulana, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia DOI: 10.35974/acuity.v9i2.3848 Abstract This study looks at how power is established when translanguaging occurs in writing class discourse using English as the language of instruction. It is a qualitative research method using a case study methodology. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews with class lecturers, focus groups with nine students, and classroom observations. Fairclough's (2001) notions of "power behind discourse" and "power in discourse" serve as the analytical foundation for this study. He defined three types of aspects: subjects, or the "subject positions" that persons might hold; connections, or the social ties that people develop during talks; and content, or what is said or done. The findings demonstrated that translanguaging helps students conceive complicated concepts, negotiate meaning, and preserve their language and cultural identities. It also promotes collaborative learning environments, which normalize language variety while increasing students' confidence and academic autonomy. Translanguaging helps students to use their language resources, which promotes agency and critical engagement with academic information. However, it also emphasizes the power dynamics in students' linguistic identities, in which the usage of many languages threatens English's supremacy. By analyzing these interactions, this study emphasizes the need of inclusive instructional practices that empower students while respecting their language variety. Keywords: critical discourse analysis, power, translanguaging, writing class INTRODUCTION This study illustrates how power is produced in writing class discourse via translanguaging in an English-medium instructional context. Language is a critical tool in the development of power dynamics in educational settings. In writing courses, particularly in multilingual contexts, the language of teaching is critical in shaping interactions, identities, and access to academic information. Power dynamics in translanguaging methods may be examined using Fairclough's (2001) concept of "power behind discourse" and "power in discourse." The term "power behind discourse" refers to the institutional norms and ideologies that influence language usage, whereas "power in discourse" investigates how people negotiate meaning within these institutions. In writing courses, translanguaging breaks the hierarchical connection between English and other languages, allowing students to demonstrate their linguistic agency. Conteh and Meier (2020) show how this empowerment alters classroom dynamics, placing students as active participants in knowledge Corresponding Author: Angga Maulana, Linguistics, Postgraduate Studies, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, West Java, 40154, Indonesia. email: 245 Acuity: Journal of English Language Pedagogy, Literature, and Culture. Vol. 10 No. 2, 2025 https://jurnal.unai.edu/index.php/acuity development. These theoretical concepts are crucial in this study because they help us understand how translanguaging strategies rearrange power relations in English-medium writing schools. Fairclough (2001) explored how "power in discourse" is used by powerful persons to constrain and regulate the contribution of inferior individuals. He identified three major types of limitations: subjects, or the "subject positions" that individuals can take; connections, or the social ties that people develop during discussions; and content, or what is said or done (page 46). In order to limit the less powerful participants, powerful individuals may indirectly choose among these restraints based on the nature of the discourse. For example, the study's principal educator rejected translanguaging procedures out of fear of being stigmatized for deviating from accepted academic standards, not because she did not see their benefits (Canagarajah 2021). The current study contributed to the ongoing discussion on writing classes and translanguaging by applying Fairclough's (2001) concepts of "power in discourse" and "power behind discourse." "The power behind discourse" refers to "the stake in power struggles-for control over orders of discourse is a powerful mechanism for sustaining in power," whereas "power in discourse" views discourse as a source of conflict (Fairclough 2001, 74). These terms have been used in conjunction with two other relevant ideas: "addressivity," which refers to how students use the cultures and ideologies they have encountered, and "inventing the University," which refers to the body of power that students envision reading and evaluating their work (Bakhtin 1986; Bartholomew 1986). When it comes to class discourse, multilingual authors face inherent contradictions between their quest for originality and autonomy and their acceptance of institutional and disciplinary standards (Lillis 2001). As previously stated in the intervention section of this study, when a student was allowed to translanguage, he employed Indonesian script to transliterate English words in order to handle the tension between his individualism and the institutional norm. Another student advocated for adopting translanguaging as a problem-solving approach while writing in monolingual English and unable to recollect a specific Indonesian or English term. The power of writing class conversation is the next topic of debate. Students' writing styles vary depending on their lecturers, institutions, and subjects of study (Garska and O'Brien 2019; Lillis and Tuck 2016). To avoid having their scores influenced by the lecturers' monolingual attitude, the students chose not to translanguage in the writing assignment. Because the students constantly transformed their voices in writing class, anticipating the body of power that would read and judge their writings, this finding supports the previously discussed concept of "Inventing the University" (Lillis 2001). Translanguaging, the purposeful use of many languages to aid learning, challenges established monolingual paradigms and shows the intricate interaction of language, identity, and authority in educational environments (García & Li, 2019). This strategy not only benefits bilingual and multilingual students, but it also reveals how language practices influence power dynamics in academic environments. Language regulations and practices that regulate interactions have a significant impact on power dynamics in the classroom. English, being the dominant global language, frequently retains a position of authority in educational institutions, marginalizing other linguistic resources. However, translanguaging provides an alternate perspective (...truncated)