Translanguaging in a midwestern U.S. university: Perspectives across two disciplines

This study investigated the perspectives and attitudes of teaching assistants (TAs) towards translanguaging in ESL and Computer Science programs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Grounded in García and Wei's translanguaging theory (2014) and Cummins' Common Underlying Proficiency (1981), this research aimed to understand how TAs perceive the integration of students' native languages (L1) with English (L2) in their teaching practices. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving surveys and semi-structured interviews with 22 TAs across the ESL program and Computer Science department. The results of the study indicated that TAs' attitudes towards translanguaging differed significantly between ESL and Computer Science. In ESL, TAs had a prior background in (language) education and were to some extent familiar with L1 scaffolding and drawing on students’ prior cultural knowledge. They had mixed but overall slightly positive views towards translanguaging, noting its benefits for language acquisition and student engagement, although their uses of it were “in the moment” and related to oral discussions of content. In contrast, all but one TA in Computer Science showed negative views, which could be related to their relative lack of exposure to teacher training and the nature of their courses, which were not discussion-based. Both groups had a minority of individuals that were particularly enthusiastic about translanguaging, and findings from both groups suggested that they could both benefit from training in why translanguaging is important in all disciplines and how to incorporate it into lessons in planned and systematic ways. These insights contribute to the broader discourse on translanguaging in education, emphasizing the importance of considering disciplinary contexts when promoting inclusive pedagogical practices for all students.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Teaching of English Sec Lang

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• McCann, Madison Lynn

Contributors dc:contributor

• Mendoza, Anna
• Sadler , Randal

• Translanguaging
• Higher Education
• Esl
• Teaching Assistants
• Pedagogy

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Madison McCann

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125666

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F125666