Language Multiplicity and Dynamism: Emergent Bilinguals Taking Ownership of Language Use in a Hybrid Curricular Space

ABSTRACT

This study explores the impact of hybrid instructional spaces on the purposeful and expansive use of translanguaging practices. Utilizing technology, the study explores the role of multimodality in bilinguals’ language multiplicity and dynamism. The research addresses: (a) how do emergent bilinguals in dual language programs deploy their full linguistic resources (i.e., idiolects) in writing when encouraged to use translanguaging?, and (b) how do home-school hybrid spaces impact emergent bilinguals’ use of translanguaging in writing? The study involved 89 children enrolled in Spanish-English dual language programs, with 53 of them participating in storytelling, writing, and other multimodal projects (i.e., photographs depicting their homes, families, and communities), and 36 in a nonparticipatory control group. The data collected include writing samples, audio taping of the children’s stories and class sessions, and multimodal projects. The findings are organized around children’s ability to negotiate their hybrid languaging practices as both separate and mixed entities when allowed and encouraged to take agency in their learning experiences within a hybrid curricular space.

KEYWORDS:

• Bilingual education
• hybrid spaces
• idiolects
• multimodality
• translanguaging

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the journal editors for their suggestions to the content of this article. I also thank María Paula Ghiso for working with me in this context, and for her insights on this work, and María Torres-Guzmán for her contribution to early versions of this manuscript.