Translanguaging Shifts and Translanguaging Assessments
Cathy Wong
Dear colleagues,
I am excited to share with you two of my recent publications that delve into
the practice of translanguaging.
The first article, titled
"Centring on Students' Needs by Engaging in Translanguaging Shifts"
illustrates how an ESOL teacher exercised translanguaging shifts based on
students' learning needs, revealing that through the process of co-creation,
students not only learn new content but also have their identities valued and
affirmed. With a strong translanguaging stance, the teacher relinquishes
control, learning from the students instead. Her training on pedagogical
translanguaging and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories in her teacher
education courses appeared to contribute to her translanguaging competence. She
was capable of incorporating translanguaging and SLA theories in an unplanned
activity. This suggests that translanguaging is not a standalone pedagogy;
teachers are advised to incorporate translanguaging with their SLA knowledge.
Reference:
Wong, C. Y. (2024). Centring on students’
needs by engaging in translanguaging shifts. ELT Journal, 78 (2). https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccae004
The second article,
"Integrating Translanguaging into Formative Assessment: Experiences from a
Chinese Immersion Context" explores how a Chinese immersion teacher
designed and implemented formative assessment, integrating them into the
translanguaging instruction design cycle (Garcia, et al., 2017). Integrating
formative assessments throughout the design cycle enabled the teacher to
systematically plan and adjust her instruction based on assessment data. She
skillfully incorporated the gradual release model, which enhanced student
motivation, confidence, and allowed diverse communicative repertoires. Students
reported positive experiences with the assessments, applying unit concepts,
developing confidence, improving Chinese proficiency, and acquiring an appreciation
for other languages.
Reference:
Wong, C. Y. (2024). Integrating translanguaging into formative assessment:
experiences from a Chinese immersion contest. International Journal of
Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2024.2324856
I have attached both articles to this email as well. Would love to continue the conversation on
these topics with you all!
Best,
Cathy
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Chiu-Yin (Cathy) Wong, Ph.D.
Director of the M.Ed./ESL Program
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Monmouth University