Resumen de Translanguaging strategies in the development of English language learners’ second language skills at an Indian university

Inzamul Sarkar, Zuhair Ahmad

• This study examines the impact of translanguaging pedagogies on English as a Second Language (ESL) development within the multilingual context of an Indian university. Challenging traditional monolingual approaches, it seeks for the recognition and strategic integration of learners’ diverse linguistic repertoires. Motivated by the sociopolitical and historical complexities of language policies in India, which have frequently marginalised multilingual practices, the study seeks to address the gap in understanding how translanguaging can serve as a practical pedagogical tool. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study involved classroom observations and an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 130 undergraduate students enrolled in ELT and English Literature streams and focused on students’ attitudes to translanguaging and its impact on English language learning. This study proposes translanguaging not purely as fluid linguistic exchange but as a strategic pedagogy accommodating both discrete and fluid language elements. The findings hold significant implications for transforming language policies, informing innovative pedagogical practices, and empowering multilingual learners within Indian higher education and beyond.