Harnessing transnational funds of knowledge through translanguaging pedagogy: Insights from an Asian migrant teacher

ABSTRACT

Drawing on the concepts of translanguaging and transnational funds of knowledge, this qualitative study explored the multilingual and mobile life and pedagogical approaches of Ms. Tao, an Asian migrant teacher working in a New York City public school. The findings reveal that Ms. Tao’s vast linguistic, cultural, and migratory experiences have shaped her firm translanguaging stance and strong commitment to translanguaging pedagogy. She employs various bilingual and transnational resources to strategically and deliberately circumvent the school’s strict monolingual policies and foster everyday translanguaging for bilingual students in her classroom. The findings of this study provide valuable implications for teacher preparation, bilingual education, and future research explorations of translanguaging pedagogies among migrant teachers.

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yeji Kim

Yeji Kim is an assistant professor of social studies education in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum at the University of Missouri. Her research interests include social studies and teacher education in transnational contexts and citizenship education for migrant children and communities. Her work has appeared in publications such as Theory & Research in Social Education, Race Ethnicity and Education, Critical Studies in Education, and Teaching and Teacher Education.

Jungmin Kwon

Jungmin Kwon is an assistant professor of language and literacy in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on immigrant children and families, transnational migration, and teacher preparation for linguistically and culturally diverse students. Her scholarly work has appeared in journals, including International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Bilingual Research Journal, Language and Education, and Language Arts.