From ‘English-only’ to translanguaging strategies: Exploring possibilities
Open accessAbstract
This article investigates English language proficiency development in a rural primary school in the Kavango region of Namibia. English is the language of instruction in most schools in Namibia from fourth grade onwards. In addition to other challenges, lack of adequate proficiency in English has been identified as one of the major barriers to learning. Current research on translanguaging demonstrates that purposeful use of translanguaging supports learning. The aim of this article is to argue that a contextual analysis and a test of learners’ proficiency in their dominant language and in English are essential when deciding on translanguaging strategies. This may lead to possible ways in which translanguaging can improve the English language proficiency of rural primary learners in an environment where the language is hardly heard or spoken outside the classroom. The paper argues that translation, and preview – view – review strategies are some of the translanguaging teaching strategies that could be used as resources for building English vocabulary.
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A positive view on translanguaging does not necessarily translate into rigorous learner-centred teaching practices.
“a positive view on translanguaging does not necessarily translate into rigorous learner-centred teaching practices, as noted in Mwinda and van der Walt (2015) and Yuvayapan (2019).”
From Examining Pedagogical Translanguaging: A Systematic Review of the Literature (2021) · cites this paper as Mwinda and van der Walt (2015)
The Design of the Project and Conclusion (page unavailable) report extensive but random, unplanned switching between Rumanyo and English, rather than systematic teaching strategies. They do not establish that teachers held a positive view of translanguaging or assess whether their teaching was learner-centred, so the claimed gap between that view and those practices is only partly supported. (LLM, conf=0.83)
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Banda, F. (2018) · Current Issues in Language Planning · doi:10.1080/14664208.2017.1353333 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Examining Pedagogical Translanguaging: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Prilutskaya, M. (2021) · Languages · doi:10.3390/languages6040180 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Translanguaging in EFL Classrooms: Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices
Yuvayapan, F. (2019) · Dil ve Dilbilimi Çalışmaları Dergisi · doi:10.17263/jlls.586811 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
- Authors
- Mwinda, N., & van der Walt, C.
- Affiliations
- Stellenbosch University (ZA)
- Venue
- Per Linguam
- Publisher
- Stellenbosch University
- Published
- 2015-12
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 3
- ISSN
- 0259-2312 (ISSN-L)
- 2224-0012
- OpenAlex
- W2238970663
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 7.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- Per Linguam (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- SUNScholar (Stellenbosch University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Linguistics and Language › Multilingual Education and Policy
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Second Language Learning and Teaching
- Keywords
- translanguaging, English proficiency, rural primary education, Kavango region, language of instruction, dominant language, translation strategies, vocabulary development, barriers to learning
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