The Translanguaging Classroom: Leveraging Student Bilingualism for Learning

by Ofelia García, Susana Ibarra Johnson, Kate Seltzer

The Translanguaging Leveraging Student Bilingualism for Learning shows teachers, administrators, professional development providers, and researchers how to use translanguaging to level the playing field for bilingual students in English-medium and bilingual classrooms. The term translanguaging can be understood in two different ways. From a sociolinguistic perspective, translanguaging can be understood as the dynamic language practices of bilinguals. From a pedagogical perspective, translanguaging can be understood as an instructional and assessment framework that teachers can use strategically and purposefully


García, Ibarra Johnson, and Seltzer illustrate their translanguaging pedagogy in action with examples from three very different a 5th-grade dual-language bilingual class taught by a bilingual teacher in New Mexico, an 11th-grade English-medium social studies class serving a predominantly Latino classroom taught by an English monolingual teacher in New York, and a 7th-grade ESL teacher working with students from a variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds in California. Teachers learn to use translanguaging for instruction and assessment to meet and exceed content and language development standards in their classrooms.

Special Features

Genres: Education, Teaching, Professional Development, Nonfiction, Language, Spanish Literature, Textbooks

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 5, 2016

About the author

Ofelia García is Professor in the Ph.D. programs of Urban Education and of Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literatures and Languages at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA. She is the Associate General Editor of the International Journal of the Sociology of Language.

Reviews

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really solid professional read. It took a while for me to wrap my brain around what exactly translanguaging means and looks like. I still have questions, but I feel ready to begin implementing what I've learned and seeing how my classroom might be different/improved this year.

[Nina Zhao · Rating 2 out of 5]

boooo. idealistic and redundant. not a fan.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Translanguaging is a new practice and educational concept to me, but I've started implementing this technique in my classes and I've seen great progress and confidence boosts in my high school students. Being in the master's program I am in has been challenging and rewarding for me as an educator, researcher, and human being.

[Meg Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you had to read one book about working with emergent bilingual students, this is the one I would recommend. It is theoretically brilliant and anchors all of that in examples from three classrooms that represent a range of grade levels and kinds of programs. I will refer to this often.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

[rosemary paulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Textbook I read for class- overall was good and has good real work examples of classrooms so it was easy to follow and apply to actual lessons.