The critical awakening of a pre-service teacher in a Spanish graduate program: a phenomenology of translanguaging as pedagogy and as content

ABSTRACT

This 2-year case study is a phenomenology of belief-change resulting from a specific curricular re-configuration. It follows Álvaro, a Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish student, from the first week of classes until graduation, as he completed a 4-semester program. Seeking to stimulate a move toward conscientização, the pilot curriculum included a translanguaging approach to three graduate courses, readings and group discussions on translinguistics, and shadowing an undergraduate Spanish class (for ‘heritage speakers’) that adopted a translanguaging approach. Additionally, opportunities for professional development (e.g. preparing and presenting an original paper at a national bilingual education conference) were provided. Following an iterative approach, data were collected via interviews and written reflections throughout the program; datasets were transcribed (when necessary) and analyzed after collection. Manen’s (1990) guidelines for phenomenological analysis were adopted, and member checking was used for validation of findings. Results chart out a baseline of beliefs held by Álvaro prior to entering the program, and three types of belief-shift he experienced during his studies; these regard the dynamic nature of Spanish, the link between race and language, and the value of multilingual practices in society and education. Critical awakening/despertar crítico is introduced as a metacategory.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical awakening
• despertar crítico
• translanguaging
• graduate education
• teacher education
• conscientização

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

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Josh Prada

Josh Prada (PhD, Texas Tech University; MA, Birkbeck, University of London) is Assistant Professor of Spanish Applied Linguistics in the World Languages and Cultures Department at the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts (IUPUI). His research centers critical and interdisciplinary approaches to bilingualism and multilingualism, with an emphasis on translanguaging, and heritage, community and minoritized language education.