Translanguaging and the multilingual turn: epistemological reconceptualization in the fields of language and implications for reframing language in curriculum studies

Abstract

New challenges in education, stemming from the forces of globalization and the continued diversification of the student body, illuminate the need for a reexamination of the role of language in curriculum studies. Through a discussion of the issues around multilingualism and translanguaging and the shift in perspective that these topics have provoked in the fields of SLA, TESOL, BE, I present the relevance and implications of this critical language approach for the field of curriculum studies. My commentary is guided by three questions. Initially, I investigate, how do the purposes and audiences of the May and García and Wei compare? I continue on to discuss, what are common key themes or issues raised by the books? And lastly, I consider, how do the concepts discussed in each book inform each other and the field of curriculum studies at large? I provide concluding thoughts on ways for language as critical pedagogy to be taken up in the broader domains of curriculum studies.

Keywords:

• bilingual
• multilingual
• translanguaging
• disciplinary divide
• critical pedagogy
• monolingual bias

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. While contemporary research in bilingual education currently reflects more positive approaches towards bi/multilingualism, perspectives in the field up until the 1970's were fraught with deficit views concerning language learning and use.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sabrina Sembiante

Dr. Sabrina Sembiante is an assistant professor of TESOL/Bilingual Education at Florida Atlantic University. She earned her doctoral degree from the University of Miami in Language and Literacy Learning in Multilingual Settings, with a focus on early childhood bilingualism. Her research focuses primarily on the development of emergent bilingualism and biliteracy in young Spanish-speaking children, and the instructional practices supporting children's academic discourse development in dual language contexts. She frames her research from sociocultural and systemic functional linguistic perspectives.