The Effects of Translanguaging on Participation in EFL Classrooms

This study employed pedagogic discourse theory (Bernstein, 1990) to investigate whether student participation was affected by teachers" translanguaging practices.The study employed qualitative research methods, including classroom observations and semi-structured interviews, to gather data on teachers" classroom practices in regards to their translanguaging practices.The data was then analysed via pedagogic discourse theory to ascertain how power and control within the translanguaging practices influenced student participation.Results suggest that teachers" translanguaging practices may improve students" ability to participate in class by improving student understanding of teacher talk.However, when teachers translanguage within IRF sequences, student participation appears to be limited to responses within the IRF sequences, suggesting students may struggle to gain any sense of control over the learning environment in such situations.Results therefore infer that translanguaging may not always provide space for the creative or critical thinking that is often discussed in translanguaging literature.