Innovation in Language Learning

In multilingual South Africa, English First Additional Language (EFAL) teachers often encounter difficulties when teaching productive language skills (speaking and writing), due to common traditional pedagogical approaches overlooking learners’ diverse linguistic backgrounds. While multilingualism is widely recognized as a resource for learning and identity construction, classroom practices tend to remain monolingual, limiting learners’ engagement and performance (Cummins, 2019). This study investigates Grade 9 EFAL teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards translanguaging pedagogy in teaching productive language skills in the Mangaung District. As understood through Makalela’s Ubuntu Translanguaging Theory views language use as fluid and interconnected, encouraging learners’ full linguistic repertoires to support meaning-making (Makalela, 2016). The study adopts a qualitative case study design to gain an in-depth insight into how teachers understand, experience and apply translanguaging pedagogy in linguistically diverse classrooms. Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with four purposively and conveniently selected teachers. By analyzing the relationship between teacher attitudes, classroom practices and school language policies, this research aims to highlight how translanguaging pedagogy may be used as a resource to support teaching of productive skills. The study currently in progress will use systematic thematic analysis as suggested by researchers (Naeem, Ozuem, Howell & Ranfagni's, 2023 to analyze data, which allows for exploring relevant theme. Furthermore, this study responds to a gap in current literature, where translanguaging has primarily been investigated in content subjects like science and higher education, with limited focus on productive language skills, particularly in senior phase EFAL classrooms.

Keywords: Translanguaging; multilingualism; productive language skills; teacher perceptions; language pedagogy

REFERENCES

[1] Makalela, L., 2016. Ubuntu translanguaging: An alternative framework for complex multilingual encounters. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 34(3), pp.187-196.