New Article in Language Arts: Reimagining Writing through Translanguaging

[Zhongfeng Tian]

Dear colleagues, 

I’m excited to share a new piece (see attached) recently published in Language Arts:

Tian, Z. (2026). Dear Pen-Pal: Reimagining Writing Through Translanguaging. Language Arts, 103(5), 356–361. https://doi.org/10.58680/la20261035356

In this article, I reflect on a transnational pen pal exchange between students in a US Chinese immersion program and peers in Hong Kong, exploring how translanguaging can reimagine writing as connection, creativity, and identity work rather than adherence to monolingual norms. Through letters that moved fluidly across English, Mandarin, Cantonese, emojis, drawings, and cultural references, children positioned themselves as writers, teachers, friends, and cultural ambassadors.

The piece discusses:

• translanguaging as a joyful and justice-oriented approach to writing instruction,
• how multilingual students mobilize their full communicative repertoires for authentic meaning-making, and
• practical implications for designing more inclusive and affirming literacy classrooms.

I hope the article contributes to ongoing conversations about multilingual writing, translanguaging pedagogy, and equitable literacy education.

Thank you for reading and sharing.

Best,
Zhongfeng

Zhongfeng Tian (田中锋), Ph.D. 

Associate Professor of Bilingual Education  

Department of Urban Education  

Rutgers University–Newark

Co-Chair, Translanguaging + AI Lab  

Vice Chair, ACTFL Research SIG 

Associate Editor, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism

Associate Editor, The Modern Language Journal 

Associate Editor, Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education

(Faculty Webpage; ResearchGate; LinkedIn; Scopus) 

 

New books: 

• Translanguaging in Action in English-Medium Classrooms: A Resource Book for Teachers
• Asian Americans in Bilingualism and Bilingual Education: The Long Overdue Voice
• Decolonizing Academic Writing Through Translingualism: Walking the Talk 

New special issues: 

• Generative Artificial Intelligence in Second Language Writing
• Integrating Translanguaging, Multimodality, and Arts-Based Pedagogies in Multilingual Classrooms

New articles: 

• Beyond Pajamas: Translingual Writing as 战袍 for Voice, Desire, and Resistance
• Grappling with Translanguaging as TESOL Teacher Educators: A Collaborative Self-Study
• Dear Pen Pal: Reimagining Writing through Translanguaging
• Language Teacher Identity and Translanguaging
• Bilingual Education and Translanguaging
• Cultivating Critical Racial Consciousness in Dual Language Bilingual Education Through AsianCrit-Informed Translanguaging Lessons 
• Latina Mother and Teacher Insights and Narratives at the Intersection of Dual Language Bilingual Education and Special Education
• Conceptualizing the Transformativeness of Translanguaging: A Spectrum Perspective 
• Translanguaging for Equity and Justice in Assessment: A Systematic Review