Translanguaging Perspectives on Writing Development and Pedagogy

This well curated selection of papers presents writing development and pedagogy from a translanguaging perspectives, giving a well-rounded picture of what educators (teachers, coaches, researchers) experience while using and reflecting on translanguaging practices. The experiences of students in schools are further enriched by descriptions of programs outside school, where writers encounter greater flexibility in language use and a variety of programs, such as family literacy where mothers and children write and share their work. Each chapter starts with a vignette, bringing the reality of practices to the fore and drawing the interest of both practitioners and researchers. Collectively the chapters in the book provide a comprehensive literature review on translaguaging research and rich and varied data on writing, adding invaluable scholarship to the field of biliteracy and flexibility of language practices. -- María Estela Brisk, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Boston College, USA

A book that explores translanguaging as pedagogy with a focus on writing! Unique to this book is the discussion of translanguaging pedagogies in writing in three distinct but vital educational contexts including classroom settings, beyond school settings, and teacher education; plethora of much needed examples of applications of theory to practice; and the avoidance of dichotomous discourse about languaging in bilingual contexts. For example, translanguaging pedagogy does not have to be mutually exclusive from more traditional policies in dual language programs such a strict separation of named languages. Further, translanguaging is beneficial in monolingual English settings as well as bilingual settings. The book is a confirmation of what we know, but don’t necessarily know how to use, in service to teaching and learning.

-- Kathy Escamilla, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, University of Colorado, USA