Translanguaging:  Strategies  for  the  Classroom  

Christina Celic christinacelic@hotmail.com

NYSIEB Seminar March 16, 2012

How  can  we  build  upon  students’  languages  in  the  classroom?    

Translanguaging  Strategies  

ò  As a scaffold to help emergent bilinguals learn English.

ò  As a way to cultivate students’ bilingualism – using all of their languages as a resource for learning, reading, writing, and thinking in the classroom.

ò  What translanguaging strategies help emergent bilinguals develop content knowledge, literacy, and language:

²  In a bilingual classroom ²  In an ESL classroom

Translanguaging  in  a      Bilingual  Classroom  

Read  thematically  in    multiple  languages  

Processing  Learning  in    Multiple  Languages  

ò  Students take notes about their reading in both languages

ò  Students discuss what they are learning in both languages

Multilingual  Word  Walls  continent continent

equator équateur

desert désert

mountains montagnes

Africa is the second largest continent. L'Afrique est le deuxième plus grand

continent.

The equator crosses Africa. L'équateur traverse l'Afrique.

Africa has three large deserts. L'Afrique a trois grands déserts.

Africa has mountains. L'Afrique a des montagnes.

savannah savane

Africa has a savannah across the center. L'Afrique a une savane à travers le centre.

Multilingual  Word  Walls  continent continent

equator équateur

desert désert

mountains montagnes

Africa is the second largest continent.

The equator crosses Africa.

Africa has three large deserts.

Africa has mountains.

savannah savane

Africa has a savannah across the center.

Multilingual  Word  Walls  

continent continent

équateur equator

désert desert

montagnes mountains

L'Afrique est le deuxième plus grand continent.

L'équateur traverse l'Afrique.

L'Afrique a trois grands déserts.

L'Afrique a des montagnes.

savane savannah

L'Afrique a une savane à travers le centre.

Multilingual  Writing  References  Français

English

Tout d'abord vous devez vous rendre à l'Afrique du Sud parce… Une des raisons que vous devriez aller en Egypte est…

First of all, you should go to South Africa because… One reason you should go to Egypt is…

Une autre raison, vous devriez aller au Kenya parce que… En outre, vous devriez aller au Sénégal en raison…

Another reason you should go to Kenya is… In addition, you should go to Senegal because…

Enfin, vous devez vous rendre au Maroc parce que…

Finally, you should go to Morocco because…

!

Translanguaging  in  a    Bilingual  Classroom    

ò  Mini-lessons: alternate between English and French

ò  Language: Key vocabulary and syntax is developed in both languages (side-by- side)

ò  Independent Reading: a combination of English and French

ò  Wide reading around a particular topic to develop content knowledge and language ò  Use of websites in English and French

ò  Use of books in English and French ò  Listening to texts in English and French ò  Students take notes about their reading in a combination of English and French

ò  Independent Writing: one piece in English, and another in French. Sometimes the two languages are purposefully combined in one writing piece.

Translanguaging  in  an      ESL  Classroom  

Native  Americans  Unit  

ò  Read extensively about the topic in English

ò  Students looked at some websites about indigenous groups in their home languages

ò  Listening Center: Listened to Spanish summaries/translations of English books

ò  Made comparisons to indigenous groups in other countries

Multilingual  Versions  

Arabic Spanish Vietnamese

Urdu French Mandarin

Tools:  Amazon  book  search  

Making  meaning  through  multiple  languages  

ò  Mini-lessons: “Turn and Talk” Partners

Vocabulary  Graphic  Organizers  

natural resources

recursos naturales

自然資源

Things people can use from nature.

The Iroquois used natural resources like wood to make

longhouses.

Google  Translate  

Multilingual  Word  Walls  

eyes ojos 眼睛

ears orejas 耳朵

nose nariz 鼻子

tongue lengua 舌頭

A frog has big eyes to hunt.

A fox has large ears to hunt animals.

A deer has a nose to smell animals.

A butterfly has a tongue to eat nectar.

Bilingual  Picture  Dictionaries  

Strategies  in  an  ESL  classroom  ò  Mini-lessons: English

ò  Small group work and individual conferences: English and/or home language, when possible

ò  Partners: that speak the same home language, when possible

ò  Independent Reading: in English and the home language

ò  Wide reading around a particular topic to develop content knowledge and language

ò  Use of multilingual websites ò  Use of multilingual books ò  Listening to texts in home language

ò  Independent Writing: in English and the home language

Take-­‐Aways  

ò  Translanguaging can happen in any educational setting: bilingual, ESL, mainstream.

ò  It can serve as a scaffold for learning English.

ò  It can also be a powerful way for students to use their languages as a resource for their learning.