The Translanguaging Classroom

While the concept of translanguaging is a relatively new term in the world of bilingualism and bilingual education, the ideas in the book are not necessarily new. In conversations, the concept of translanguaging has always felt “forced” for me. Translanguaging could be described as “the day-to-day practices [that] provided multiple opportunities for students to have ongoing access to each other's linguistic, cultural, and cognitive resources, and these practices had consequences that extended beyond the classroom walls” (Gutiérrez et al., 1999). Yet this was a definition used by Gutierrez in the 1990s to describe hybridity and the Third Space. One thing this book does exceptionally well is give names to concepts that have been floating out there as informal or less-known techniques and put them into a functional framework. After reading this book, I was able to adopt new terms to describe the language learning process and was also able to start framing conversations with a new pedagogical and equitable approach for teachers. In my role as a dual language instructional coach, I have already started to see shifts in teacher beliefs about student strengths and instructional approaches.

We have found Caslon's books to be a perfect fit for the Bilingual Teacher Pathway Program, which is a two-year teacher preparation program for bilingual educational assistants who want to become teachers. Recently, I looked at your guiding principles that made me feel like I had found a home! Thank you for publishing such awesome books!

Considering how diverse and global our world has become, we need more than ever a stance that will broaden our understanding of bilingualism and create space for bilingual learning and instruction. It is a challenge to address the needs of students who speak languages other than English. It is more challenging to help teachers understand and envision the ways we can reach bilingual students and make a difference in their success through valuing, embracing, and utilizing their language capabilities and skills, culture, home language,and their complex language practices. In a moment where immigration policies are changing, and while inequality continues to exist in the education system, teachers need to be effectively equipped to challenge established ideas and traditional models about how to teach to bilingual students and shift their understanding to productively accommodate and nurture students’ learning and help them achieve academic success..."