AP- Hi everyone! I’m Amanda Pincus

VZ- And I’m Veronika Zaluha and we'll be your host for today's TeachersTalk!

AP- Today we will be talking about the importance of translanguaging in elementary school classrooms. Joining us today is Melanie who is a 4th grade teacher from Adelphi Elementary School.

MK- Hi Amanda and Veronika, thank you for having me today! Translanguaging is an important topic that isn't talked about enough! It is definitely an important aspect of expression that every classroom needs to incorporate.

VZ- So tell us a little about what translanguaging means to you as a teacher?

MK- As a teacher I believe that every child deserves to feel comfortable in any environment, especially within the classroom setting. Therefore with the use of translanguaging multilingual students can use their full linguistic repertoire within the classroom instead of narrowly focusing on a single language.

AP- That's a very great explanation of the concept! As a teacher with such great understanding how do you incorporate this concept within your classroom setting?

MK- That’s a great question! Firstly, I created a word wall in the classroom for all the students to understand how to say the word “Hello” in different common languages. I would say that the students enjoyed learning about the different ways of saying “hello” in these different languages.

VZ- Wow! I think that's a great introduction to the different languages that are used throughout the world and the universal word used in every language. Is there anything else that you incorporate into the classroom setting regarding this concept?

MK- Yes! I also established a weekly activity for the students to watch various language related videos that are common throughout the world. They are able to understand the word or phrase in the English language which is then introduced in the language that is being explored within the video.

AP- I think that's a very great activity that exposes the students to the various languages that exist within the world around them.

MK- I definitely agree with you and think that this will create more awareness of the unique languages that exist!

VZ- While including this concept in activities in the classroom, are there any ways you celebrate the different cultures in the classroom ?

MK- In the beginning of the year I sent a form home for students and their families to fill out talking about the countries they are from and their ethnic backgrounds. Every other Friday, we have a party celebrating one of those cultures and students learn more about it! I invite the families of the students to come in and in the past they’ve read the students a book, taught them songs, brought in some food from their culture, etc.

AP- That’s a great way of celebrating different cultures in the classroom! It is great that every student is able to have their culture celebrated in your classroom. This probably allows the students to feel included as well!

VZ- I agree. It is also both informative and fun for students to learn about all the different cultures the world has to offer. Are there any challenges that you have faced as a teacher while trying to include translanguaging in the classroom?

Mk- Well yes.. One year I worked in a multilingual 5th grade classroom. When you work in a multilingual classroom, there is no common first language among students. Students in a multilingual classroom can’t chat in their first language or turn to their classmate to clarify a grammar point or define a vocab word in their mother tongue. All communication has to be in the common language—English.

VZ- I can’t imagine the stress of being a teacher in a fully multilingual classroom.

MK- It can be so stressful! But it is also a learning experience for me as well and I love it! But that is also not the only challenge. I’ve had students who kept making mistakes in pronunciation and structure due to their first language and how the grammar is different when they speak it.

AP- Can you tell us more in depth about what you mean?

MK-Students in a monolingual classroom often understand each other not because they speak correctly, but because they all make the same mistakes. For example, a classroom of Chinese students may all struggle with the “r” sound in English, so they understand their classmate when he mispronounces words with “r.” However, if that same Chinese student is in a multilingual classroom, he will need to pronounce “r” words so that everyone in the room understands him.

VZ- that is so interesting.. You make it sound so easy but I know that being a teacher can be so difficult at times.

MK- It can definitely be difficult, but I have a love for teaching which pushes me to do my best for myself and my students.

AP- It's great to hear what a difference you are making in the classroom. I’ve heard about an ESOL method that many elementary schools use? What is that and how is translanguaging different from the ESOL method?

MK- The ESOL Method is instruction that is focused on encouraging students to speak English as often as possible. Translanguaging allows students to speak their native language which can be essential to providing an important confidence boost in the classroom. I feel that students may feel more confident articulating their questions in a language in which they are proficient, which supports the idea that translanguaging can go a long way toward increasing participation.

VZ- I agree that using translanguaging is a better option for all the schools that does not use it. Talking to you truly inspires me to ensure that translanguaging is being used in my future daughter/son's classroom.

AP- Me too! Well our time is up! It was great speaking to you Melanie and I hope you keep going on this beautiful path of teaching students of our future! To our listeners, thank you for joining us and learning about the importance of translanguaging in the classroom. I hope this gave you the opportunity to look deeper into the classroom.