Enhancing Multilingual Education: Students’ Perceptions and Experiences With Translanguaging in Higher Education
Debbie A Sanders, Mashaba MashalaAims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions:
This study explores university students’ perceptions of translanguaging and its role in higher education in South Africa. It seeks to understand how students perceive the integration of translanguaging into teaching, learning, and assessment, and how it contributes to inclusivity and academic success.
Design/Methodology/Approach:
A qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted to explore students’ lived experiences. Data were collected through focus group interviews with 32 participants and questionnaires completed by 345 students across four faculties.
Data and Analysis:
Data were thematically analysed, focusing on key themes emerging from students’ responses about the value, challenges, and practical implications of translanguaging in higher education contexts.
Findings/Conclusions:
The findings reveal that students perceive translanguaging as a powerful tool for inclusivity, comprehension, and participation in multilingual classrooms. They also highlight challenges, including institutional resistance and a lack of supportive language policies. The study concludes that translanguaging has significant potential for decolonising higher education and supporting academic success.
Originality:
This study contributes to emerging scholarship on translanguaging in South African higher education by centring the voices of students in the debate on translanguaging, an area often dominated by lecturer and policy perspectives. It adds insight into how students themselves experience and value translanguaging practices.
Significance/Implications:
The study provides evidence that integrating translanguaging into higher education pedagogy can advance inclusivity and academic equity. It also underscores the need for supportive policies and institutional commitment to legitimising translanguaging as part of teaching, learning, and assessment.