Teachers’ implementation of translanguaging in EFL classrooms: a systematic review

Thesis

The theory of translanguaging has been widely discussed in the field of applied linguistics both as a model to describe bilingualism and as a pedagogy. It seems promising to implement pedagogical translanguaging in various types of lessons and contexts, but little is known about the impact of pedagogical translanguaging in English language teaching (ELT) classrooms on English language proficiency among learners who learn English as a foreign language (EFL).

This systematic review aimed to provide a synthesis of the approaches that have been assessed for effectiveness in EFL classrooms and the effects of these approaches on substantive outcomes. A systematic process of searching and selecting the literature found 10 empirical studies eligible for synthesis. Data were extracted and the risk of bias of the included studies was assessed. Data were synthesised using narrative synthesis.

Results showed that pedagogical translanguaging was more frequently used to teach EFL reading and writing than vocabulary, grammar, speaking and listening. Five studies favoured the translanguaging group but four of them were rated as having high risk of bias. The rest of the studies, which involved two high-quality studies, either found no statistically significant difference between translanguaging and English-only groups or favoured the translanguaging group in only a small number of measures. The included studies showed that pedagogical translanguaging was potentially helpful in teaching some features of English grammar and writing, but the persistence of these effects was largely unexplored. Altogether, there were insufficient well-designed and wellconducted studies in EFL contexts to support the claim that pedagogical translanguaging is beneficial.

Teachers are advised to reflect on their current ELT pedagogies and are encouraged to try new approaches, including pedagogical translanguaging. However, teachers should be aware that the effects of pedagogical translanguaging on English language proficiency have been inconclusive. Researchers and teacher educators need to help teachers understand the theory of pedagogical translanguaging and interpret the findings of empirical studies.

Authors: Huang, X

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-prmx2qoxe
• Type of award: MSc taught course
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Keywords: English as a foreign language; translanguaging; systematic review; English language teaching