Translanguaging stance and practices of multilingual undergraduates: case of EMI-driven universities in Thailand and Malaysia

The global shift towards English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education highlights the growing need to explore translanguaging practices among multilingual students. As more institutions adopt translanguaging pedagogy, there is a call for cross-sectional studies that examine students' perspectives and practices in this area. This study investigates the beliefs and viewpoints of multilingual students regarding the use of their first language (L1) and their entire linguistic repertoire in both institutional and classroom settings. Through in-depth interviews with 10 students from universities in Thailand and Malaysia, the qualitative content analysis of the data reveals differing attitudes toward translanguaging between the two groups. Malaysian participants generally favor an 'optimal' approach to translanguaging, while most Thai participants (with one exception) tend to support a 'virtual' English-only model. The findings also show a link between students' beliefs and their reported translanguaging practices. However, Thai students face challenges in establishing a clear position on using L1 and other linguistic resources in EMI contexts. This study offers insights into educational strategies, policy development, and future research while acknowledging its limitations.