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AILA Review: Online-First ArticlesImplementing translanguaging strategies in the English writing classroom in higher education
A systematic review
Over the past two decades, translanguaging has become a powerful concept in applied linguistics, enabling teachers
and students to respond to linguistic and cultural diversity in the classroom. However, how teachers and students prepare for
translanguaging pedagogy and practice in writing has so far received less attention (Huang
& Chalmers, 2023). Therefore, this systematic review focuses on the application of translanguaging strategies in
the English as a Foreign/Second Language (EFL/ESL) writing classroom. Following the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, this
study searched five databases to obtain articles spanning from 2013 to 2023. We reviewed 23 articles focusing on translanguaging,
writing and higher education. Our results show that (1) most studies were conducted in North America and Northern Asia, with
qualitative studies being predominant; (2) most researchers implemented translanguaging interventions in the EFL/ESL classroom to
study the impact of translanguaging on students’ English writing skills; (3) students applied translanguaging strategies during
the writing process to communicate with others on content and vocabulary; (4) translanguaging strategies provided teachers with
diverse perspectives and enhanced students’ various skills; (5) the use of digital resources and different types of activities
contributed to the application of translanguaging in the writing classroom, but students’ limited language skills in their L2 but
also in their L1, and their uncertainty about their linguistic identity limited implementation of translanguaging in the English
writing classroom. This systematic review points towards the need for educators to consider the various factors, functions and
applications of the use of translanguaging strategies in English writing classrooms.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Background
- 2.1The concept of translanguaging in applied linguistics
- 2.2Translanguaging and writing
- 3.Methodology
- 3.1Inclusion and exclusion criteria
- 3.2Search strategy
- 3.3Selection process
- 3.4Data extraction and data items
- 3.5Quality assessment
- 3.6Synthesis
- 4.Results
- 4.1Overview of the included studies and quality assessment
- 4.2Implementation of translanguaging strategies-educational settings, geography, research objectives, and methodology
- 4.3Translanguaging strategies for ESL/EFL writing teaching and learning
- 4.3.1Researchers designing translanguaging interventions
- 4.3.2Teachers applying translanguaging strategies in teaching
- 4.3.2.1Sharing translanguaging strategies applied in writing courses
- 4.3.2.2Combining online tools with translanguaging strategies
- 4.3.3Students applying translanguaging strategies in their writing
- 4.3.3.1Applying translanguaging strategies in the writing process
- 4.3.3.2Applying translanguaging strategies in the writing content and vocabulary
- 4.3.3.3Applying translanguaging strategies in their interactions with others
- 4.4Impact of translanguaging strategies in ESL/EFL writing teaching and learning
- 4.4.1In teaching practices
- 4.4.1.1Providing diverse perspectives
- 4.4.1.2Creating a “safe” space for students
- 4.4.2In students’ learning
- 4.4.2.1Improving students’ awareness of functional differences in languages/metalinguistic understanding
- 4.4.2.2Improving students’ ability of expression/writing speed
- 4.4.2.3Improving students’ collaborative skills/ability to process information/problem solving skills
- 4.4.2.4Improving students’ thinking ability in writing
- 4.4.2.5Improving/not improving students’ language learning
- 4.4.2.6Improving/mot improving students’ writing scores
- 4.4.2.7Raising students’ awareness of their own culture
- 4.4.1In teaching practices
- 4.5Factors enabling and constraining classroom application of translanguaging
- 4.5.1Digital resources
- 4.5.2Different types of activities
- 4.5.3Stakeholders
- 4.5.4Students’ limited language ability in L1 and L2
- 4.5.5Students’ views on their language identity
- 5.Discussion, conclusion and limitations
-
References
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.
For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at [email protected].
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