Translanguaging Spaces in the Educational Setting: The Case of English Senior High School Teachers

Translanguaging Spaces in the Educational Setting: The Case of English Senior High School Teachers

Debbie Joyce D. Hanasan, Jovelyn L. Cabanatan

College of Education and Social Sciences, Mindanao State University at Naawan, 9023 Naawan, Misamis Oriental, Philippines

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2024.1105071

Received: 05 May 2024; Revised: 20 May 2024; Accepted: 24 May 2024; Published: 24 June 2024

ABSTRACT

Translanguaging is about effective communication, not about language itself. It is the act performed by bilinguals of accessing different linguistic features or various modes of what are described as autonomous languages, in order to maximize communicative potential (EAL Journal, 2016). This study has the benefit to determine the inclusion of translanguaging as a pedagogical tool and its effects on the teaching process in a classroom. The primary objective of this study is to thoroughly examine and analyze the underlying factors that influence teachers’ utilization of translanguaging in class discussions, while also identifying and addressing the potential barriers and obstacles they may encounter in implementing this approach. By delving into the motivations and challenges faced by instructors when employing translanguaging as a pedagogical tool, this research aims to shed light on best practices for its successful integration in classroom discourse. The participants of this research are the English Senior High School teachers who have the expertise of English related subjects in the Senior High department.

Qualitative design is utilized in this research as it showed the use of translanguaging in an online class and multilingual classroom. Hence, it is investigated through a review of the teachers’ lesson plan, class observations and validation interview. The validation interview is used to check and prove the accuracy and the reasons of teachers in using translanguaging in class. The research investigates the effective translanguaging practices of the English teachers through categorizing them in language patterns and thought process diagrams. Hence, the findings revealed that translanguaging affects the teaching process in a class and was considered as an assistance in achieving the integration of the subject matter and deeper understanding of the topic that resulted in positive feedback and high scores from formal assessments of the students.

Keywords: Translanguaging, communication, multilingual, pedagogical, language

INTRODUCTION

Translanguaging is the use of different languages together. It is the process by which bilinguals access diverse linguistic aspects or modes of what is referred to as independent languages in order to optimize communicative potential. Oihana (2020) advises teachers to combine several languages and break down barriers that make it difficult to use L1. Translanguaging is about communication, not about language itself. It is the method by which multilingual speakers use their languages to communicate as a single system. Translanguaging is an expansion of the concept of language, or language speakers’ social practices, with the added characteristic of using many languages, frequently at the same time. It is a dynamic process in which multilingual people use many languages strategically to navigate difficult social and cognitive demands. The utilization of multiple languages by multilingual individuals is a strategic process aimed at effectively navigating complex social and cognitive demands. As a result, this research will go into greater detail on teachers’ translanguaging actions in the classroom, from lesson planning through actual lectures. The Philippines is a multicultural country that contains not just one but more than one culture. It is a multilingual nation with more than 170 languages. According to Nolasco (2018), one of the basic weaknesses plaguing in Philippine education is that many pupils do not understand what their teacher is saying and therefore they cannot follow the lesson. This is where the Department of Education (DepEd) gets inspiration to have Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE). This program serves learners of non-dominant language communities who do not understand or speak the language of instruction when they begin their formal education (Malone, 2016). The use of family languages in the classroom indicates that all students benefit academically from multilingual language practices, these practices are generally seen as illicit in the mainstream of education. The term “translanguaging” has been introduced in current developments to describe the dynamic and adaptable ways that multilingual speakers access their language repertoires in order to enhance their communicative abilities. In contrast to code-switching, which usually entails a purposeful and intentional change of languages during a conversation, translanguage refers to a more fluid integration of linguistic resources. It frequently happens in multilingual communities where speakers are fluent in several languages and can switch between them with ease. This results in the creation of a hybrid linguistic form that loosely follows the grammatical or lexical rules of one language while incorporating elements from other languages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Research Design

The researcher selected specific designs and approaches that were most aligned with their objectives and would ultimately aid them in achieving their intended outcomes. In this study, the qualitative design was utilized. Qualitative research design considered a few procedures upon using it; participant observations, in-depth interviews either face-to-face or video interviews, and focus groups are all examples of methodologies in this research design. The goal of every qualitative research study was to get a highly detailed understanding of a certain topic, issue, or meaning based on firsthand experience. As gathering data can be a high strain, this was accomplished by having a small but focused sample base; qualitative data was concerned with depth rather than quantity of findings (Djs Research, 2020). The goal of a qualitative research design was to figure out the whys and hows of the phenomenon. Qualitative design was used in this study due to its goal to evaluate whether translanguaging should be used as a pedagogical tool and how it influences the teaching process in the classroom (Djs Research, 2020).

Participants of the Study

The Philippine education curriculum consists of two phases of high school: junior high school, which includes grades 7 through 10, and senior high school, which includes grades 11 and 12. In this study, the researcher focuses on all English senior high school teachers where translanguaging occurs more frequently in a variety of English subjects such as oral communication, reading and writing, English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Research 1: Qualitative Research, Research 2: Quantitative Research, and creative writing. The school has five senior high school English teachers. There are two English teachers from grade 11 and three English teachers from grade 12 senior high school. Two of these teachers have been teaching in the school for five (5) years handling English subjects from Junior High School to Senior High School students. These two teachers both graduated with a degree in Secondary Education major in English with an expertise in literature. The other three (3) teachers have been teaching English subjects for three (3) years straight. Two (2) of them graduated with Bachelor of Elementary Education major in English. The other teacher liked teaching speaking and reading while the other liked poetry analysis. The third teacher graduated with a course of Bachelor of Arts in English Language studies with an expertise in literary analysis.

Research Instrument

The virtual class observation was done on October 25, 2021 and October 26, 2021 for thirty-five minutes of each of the English teachers. Hence, the validation interview was done on October 29, 2021 and October 30, 2021 for less than twenty minutes each. Teacher 1 had it for nineteen minutes, Teacher 2 for seventeen minutes, Teacher 3 for fifteen minutes, Teacher 4 for eighteen minutes, and Teacher 5 for seventeen minutes. To obtain accurate and reliable data and effectively answer the research questions, the researcher conducted an hour-long class observation for each subject with every teacher. Additionally, a 20-minute validation interview was conducted with each teacher. These methods were utilized to ensure the validity and credibility of the information gathered. By directly observing classroom activities and engaging in interviews, the researcher was able to gather comprehensive data that accurately reflected the research objectives. The use of these rigorous techniques demonstrates a professional approach to gathering information and ensures that the results obtained will be of high quality and contribute significantly to addressing the research questions at hand. In the subsections below, this instrument for collecting data is discussed in depth.

Data Analysis

The researcher applied an inspection of the lesson plan, class observation, and validation interview to process this study. After conducting the process, the researcher retains all of the collected data from the observation and validation interview in order to transcribe all of the relevant information. The researcher started by checking the language used by each of the teachers in their lesson plans. It was followed by filtering out the translanguaging process of each teacher during the discussion. This study primarily focused on the effective translanguaging activities of the English teachers, which resulted an effective communication and shared the same knowledge and meaning, as depicted by a thinking process diagram. Afterwards, notes were made to acquire the individual answers of the English teachers and picked out essential direct quotation answers from the teachers to give emphasis to the study. The researcher evaluated and analyzed the data using a universalizing type of comparison analysis to filter out translanguaging activities acquired from the class observation which was done twice and to pick up the relevant information from the answers of the English teachers from the validation interview which was done once to acquire the validity and accuracy of results from the manifestation of translanguaging activities during the discussion.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The tables from 1 to 5 provided in this chapter show the manifestation of translanguaging in the classroom as a results of an online class observation done twice by the researcher. The language change ranges from English to Bisaya, English to Filipino, and Filipino to Bisaya. The subjects of the teachers being observed by the researcher are English for Academic Purposes, Practical Research 1, 21st Century Literature, and Creative Writing. All subjects English-related.

Table I. Teacher 1

Extract 1: English – Bisaya  (Teacher 1 is explaining about their topic about creative writing) Teacher: Good morning, everyone. Please prepare yourselves.E andam and inyong kaugalingon noh in  order to understand or masabtan atong lesson for today. (Good morning, everyone. Please prepare yourselves in order to understand our lesson for today.) Teacher: So class, please take a look at this picture noh. What can you say about the picture or unsa  man ang imung mahunahunaan pagka kita ninyo sa picture. (So class, please look at the picture. What can you say about the picture?) Student 1: I see people talking about themselves sir. Teacher: Okay thank you. How about Agravante? You are raising your hand. What can you say about  the picture or unsa man imung nahuna-hunaan when you saw the picture? (Okay thank you. How about Agravante? You are raising your hand. What can you say about the picture  when you saw the picture?) Student 2: I see selfishness sir. Because they talk about themselves. Teacher: Okay. Thank you Agravante and Espinosa.

Extract 2: English – Filipino, English – Bisaya  Teacher: So we already have a lot of ideas noh? So, marami tayong makikitang ideas sa picture. One of  these is pride. (So we already have a lot of ideas. One of these is pride.) Student: Yes sir. Garbo in bisaya sir? Teacher: Yes, Pride is garbo in bisaya. I want you to focus on this topic for our creative writing today.  The topic we will have today is about pride. Having all the things we’ve discussed. I want you to apply  them in creating a story with the theme pride.

Extract 3: English – Filipino  Teacher: We also have riddles or bugtong-bugtong. Riddles uses symbolism to describe specific objects,  which the listener can guess by using his imagination. Riddles o mas kilala sa bugtong-bugtong  gumagamit ito nga mga simbolismo para mahulaan ng tao ang kung ako ang ibig sabihin. Okay class. (We also have riddles. Riddles uses symbolism to describe specific objects, which the listener can guess  by using his imagination. Okay class.) Teacher: Next, we have proverbs class. These are traditional sayings used by Filipinos based on local  culture, wisdom, and philosophies from Filipino life. Ang proverbs class ginagamit ito ng ating mga  ancestors or mga nakakatanda noon para pangaralan ang kanilang mga anak. Can someone give an  example? (Next, we have proverbs class. These are traditional sayings used by Filipinos based on local culture,  wisdom, and philosophies from Filipino life. Can someone give an example?) Student: Cher, kanang halimbawa ng saliwakain is like sayings man cher noh? Kanang “ang taong  nagigipit kahit sa patalim kumakapit.” Sakto cher? (Cher, the example of salawikain is saying cher, right? An example would be “ang taong nagigipit kahit  sa patalim kumakapit.” Is it correct cher?)

Extract 4: English – Bisaya  Teacher: Okay yes. Sakto na siya very good. Thank you. What do we mean by “ang taong nagigipit kahit  sa patalim kumakapit.” Frankie. Para sa imuha unsay pasabot ana (Yes, that’s correct very good. Thank you. What do we mean by “ang taong nagigipit kahit sa patalim  kumakapit.” Frankie. For you, what does it mean?) Student: Kuan cher it’s about bisag dili ka ganahan nga buhaton na pero kay wala nakay lain choice imu  nalang buhaton cher. (Even though you do not like what you are currently doing you still have to do it because you don’t have  any choice.) Teacher: Okay, very good. Isa pod na siya noh like by hook or by crook you have to really do it. Magkina unsa man imu gyud na siyang buhaton kay wala nay choice para maka survive ka. (Okay, very good. That is also one of it by hook or by crook you have to really do it. No matter what  happen you are still urge to do it in order for you to survive.)

Table 1 shows the manifestation of translanguaging in the virtual classroom of which teacher 1 uses the English language as a medium of instruction to his students and changes from English to Bisaya and English to Filipino twice.

“It is a teaching strategy for me because I have this intention to really engage or tap with other language for deepening of the meaning kanang ginapasabot ug maayo gyud sa mga bata. I also use this kind of strategy because it was also approved by some certifiers who visit our school nga pwede gyud mu use ug other language para mas ma deepen ug ma grasp gyud sa student ang lesson. Isa pod sa reason is that gamay lang ang time sa class and as a teacher we think of some strategy nga wherein mas easy ma-understand sa students ang terms then ddto ta makuha more focus.” 

Teacher 1 conveys his intention to actively incorporate additional languages, such as Filipino and Bisaya, in order to enhance the depth of understanding for a particular word or situation in the lesson. This deliberate effort reflects his dedication towards creating a more comprehensive learning experience for his students. By utilizing multiple languages, he aims to provide a holistic approach to language learning and foster a deeper connection with the material being taught. Also, he states that changing language in class is formally permitted by some certifiers who annually visit the school. This is for the purpose of giving the students simplified information from the lesson. Teacher 1 shares the advantages of using Filipino and Bisaya language during class together with the challenges.

This result supported the claim of Ofelia and Angel (2017) in their study when they stated that scholars and learners understood bilingualism was an important instrument in learning and cognitive development and that Lewis (2012) clarifies that translanguaging refers to using one language to reinforce the other in order to increase understanding and the students’ activity in both languages.

“The advantage of it is maka express ug ayo ang mga bata. The advantage is that students will be able to get some certain words and phrases easily. They are more comfortable sharing their ideas if I let them speak Cebuano or Filipino but not all the time. Maybe in just some other cases wherein students will really is/are struggling. “ 

One of the advantages of using it during the discussion is how the students are very expressive of their answer when they hear the teacher use another language other than English.  Another is that including words from both languages can help students who are native speakers of either language better comprehend the material. It also helps create a sense of inclusivity and diversity in the classroom, acknowledging and valuing different linguistic backgrounds.

Moreover, incorporating multiple terms can enhance student engagement as it encourages them to think critically and make connections between different languages. This practice can also improve their vocabulary skills and promote language fluency. The challenging part of doing this type of teaching strategy is looking for the accurate word to fit in explaining it to the students. This is particularly difficult given the time constraints of online synchronous classes and the teacher’s need to promptly identify and relay an exact and precise term from English to another language. It requires a high level of linguistic precision and proficiency in order to effectively facilitate understanding among students who may have varying levels of language comprehension.

This backed up the study of Ofelia and Angel (2017) as Baker (2001) pointed out four potential educational advantages to translanguaging. With this result, it highlighted more the first potential stated that translanguaging may promote a deeper and fuller understanding of the subject matter as it incorporates diverse linguistic resources, and educators can effectively cultivate a more profound and comprehensive grasp of the material being studied. and the other three potentials were supported as well in helping the students acquire meaning and develop comprehension.

Translanguaging involves issues in language production. Hence, teacher 1 shares his thoughts about his struggle in looking for the appropriate term in Bisaya which would fit a particular word in English just to simplify its meaning.

“For me, it is a great assistance to the students’ learning. However, we must always bear in mind that these languages or dialects are just used for deepening a particular explanation that students are finding it hard to understand. For ‘emergency lang’ kung sa akong term sailaha kung ma sobrahan na ug gamit sa Cebuano or Filipino.”

Although changing of language was quite challenging, teacher 1 still considers this teaching strategy a great assistance to the students’ learning. Hence, this is just used for thorough explanation and better understanding for the students.

The statement of teacher 1 supported the ideas of EAL Journal (2016) as they mentioned that teachers can use their own classroom vocabulary to communicate and to give focus to the language being used. Hence, this gave a further back up to the statement of EAL Journal (2016) saying that teachers can use their own classroom vocabulary just to discuss and give corrections in English then go back in translanguaging to revise the work-in-progress.

“I consider it as a new form of effective communication because I can see and prove this from an evaluation in class. This can either be an oral recitation, written, and test because students can indeed show that they could understand and grasp the key features of the lesson when I use Cebuano and Filipino at some times during discussion. We knew that the output of the students in Genyo is fully English but there is an impact on the students’ answer when I explain the lesson with Cebuano and Filipino language.” 

In the study of Garcia, Johnson, and Seltzer, it was found out that the term translanguaging can be used in two ways: from sociolinguistic perspective and pedagogical perspctive (Garcia et al., 2021). In this study, pedagogical perspective supported the claim of Garcia, Johnson, and Seltzer as they mentioned in their study that translanguaging can be understood as an instructional and assessment framework that teachers can use strategically and purposefully. However, in the study of Garcia, Johnson, and Seltzer, it showed that they were more focused on bilingualism as they mentioned the four potential help of translanguaging to the students which were the following:

1. Support bilingual students as they engage with and comprehend complex content and texts
2. Provide opportunities for bilingual students to develop linguistic practices for academic contexts
3. Make space for students’ bilingualism and ways of understanding
4. Support bilingual students’ socioemotional development and bilingual identities

However, in this study multilingualism was used to further explain the use of translanguaging and how it affects the teaching process. The contrast of the result of these two studies suggested that translanguaging not only functions in a bilingual educational setting for a reason that MTB MLE was implemented in the education setting in the Philippines and teachers not only teach English and Filipino, the Philippines national language but also their native language or mother tongue.

Figure 1 Thought Process

Figure 1 showed the thought process of teacher 1. The figure showed that teacher 1 started the lesson with a teaser question and a picture for the students to analyze. “I always throw questions to the students for hints and try to say it in bisaya”. Teacher 1 stated during the interview with the researcher. This was a great start for him to see how the students were engaged in the discussion. In figure 1.1, it was clearly shown that this strategy was effective for both teacher 1 and his students.

Table II. Teacher 2

Extract 5: English – Bisaya  Teacher: Let us have a quick revisit. So what do you mean by Research Objectives? So according to  Jaikumar, a research objective is a clear, concise declarative statement which provides direction to  investigate the variables under study. So what do we mean by declarative statement meaning to say dili  siya pangutana kundi nag-declare nag storya lang. (Let us have a quick revisit. So what do you mean by Research Objectives? So according to Jaikumar,  a research objective is a clear, concise declarative statement which provides direction to investigate the  variables under study. So what do we mean by declarative statement meaning to say it is basically not  a question purely statement.) Teacher: Okay next, why is it important to state the objective of the study? It is important to get the right  solutions to a certain problem or issue and guide the researchers in the right direction. So, atong research  objectives maoy mag tabang kung unsa ilang e hatag nga solusyon sa problema ug issue about sa study. Everyone got it? Can I see a thumbs up? (Okay next, why is it important to state the objective of the study? It is important to get the right solutions  to a certain problem or issue and guide the researchers in the right direction. Everyone got it? Can I see  a thumbs up?) Student: (thumbs up)

Extract 6: English – Filipino  Teacher: If you can observe, some of your research titles are rejected because you need to consider the  problem of the study and its time. Kailangan kasi na mayroon talagang problema at napapanahon din  and problema. (If you can observe, some of your research titles are rejected because you need to consider the problem  of the study and its time. The problem should be timely.)

Extract 7: English – Bisaya  Teacher: Let us proceed to the introduction. So what is the purpose of the introduction? It serves multiple  purposes because first it presents the background of the study meaning to say diha makita kung unsay  rason nganong gusto mo mag study about ani. Kung unsay background ug kinahuhugutan or pinang  gagalingan nganong kana inyong gusto e study. (Let us proceed to the introduction. So what is the purpose of the introduction? It serves multiple  purposes because first it presents the background of the study meaning to say, it is in the introduction  where we can see the reason of why the researcher would like to study this particular topic.)

Table 2 shows the manifestation of translanguaging of teacher 2 that uses the English language as a medium of instruction in giving lectures to her students and changes from English to Bisaya twice and English to Filipino once. Teacher 2 is an English teacher who teaches Practical Research in Senior high school.

“When explaining topics, I believe that using different ways of language might assist students better understand the topic, especially using bisaya because students feel more at ease offering their own views when speaking bisaya.”

She considered changing of language during her discussion a teaching strategy to help students understand the lesson in an easier manner. Teacher 2 believes that in explaining the topic using different languages such as the students’ mother tongue which is Bisaya might assist the students’ understanding of the topic. This approach not only enriches language skills but also fosters a holistic appreciation of the subject matter, enabling students to engage with the content in a more meaningful and interconnected manner. According to her, students feel at ease and comfortable when she is using an English mix of Bisaya and Filipino during discussion. Teacher 2 added that this teaching strategy has an advantage towards the students’ learning.

This result revealed the claim of Kleinz, Wilkinson, Gearon, Fernandes, and Ingvarson (2017) as they stated in their study that “language expertise and educational expertise need to be brought together.” The premises for elaborating the pedagogic standards for the initial training of mother-tongue teachers may be created only on the basis of interaction and interdisciplinary connections.

“Advantages start with the improvement of the students’ comprehension. Mas okay ko mu use ug Bisaya during the discussion and while giving examples and explanations because students can relate to it and would have better retention to it as well.”

She indicates the improvement of the students’ comprehension as the main feature and purpose of changing language from English to another language.

This statement of teacher 2 supported the central claim of Grice in the relevance theory as Grice mentioned that the utterances generate expectations that lead the listener to the speaker’s meaning. The transmission of verbal expressions and phrases creates a foundation for expectations in the minds of those listening. These expectations enable a more detailed analysis and comprehension of the speaker’s message. As the listener decodes the information communicated through the articulated words, these prior beliefs assist them toward understanding the intended meaning buried within the utterances spoken. The purpose was to understand what these relevance expectations were and how they could contribute to a reasonable account of comprehension.

Teacher 2 mentions that she has issues in language production sometimes when she is conducting her class. In an instance, when a certain student asks for another term of a specific word from English to their mother tongue, Filipino for Muslim students. Teacher 2 genuinely states that she is not really fluent in Filipino and she might have a difficulty in addressing some questions and requests to the students in producing some words in Filipino language. This issue of her in language production is not a hindrance in assisting her students as she believes that this strategy would encourage students to become more invested in the topic and subject since it would be easier for them to comprehend what the teachers are saying.

“I believe it is a new kind of effective communication, as evidenced by a class evaluation. Because students can indicate that they understood and grasped the key features of the lecture when I apply Cebuano and Filipino at times during discussion.”

Teacher 2 believes that changing of language is a new kind of effective communication, as evidenced by a class evaluation and participation. Students can indicate that they understood and grasped the key features of the lecture when she applies Bisaya and Filipino at times during discussion.

This statement of teacher 2 backed up the speech act theory in the claim of Nordquist (2021). As he claimed that the translanguaging approach of the teachers lead to the interdependence of the students’ various linguistic resources and to enable them to flexibly create meaning and gain deeper knowledge.

Figure 2 Thought Process

Figure 2 showed the thought process of teacher 2. The figure showed that teacher 2 started the lesson with a teaser question in English and gave knowledge in English as well. Afterwards, teacher 2 then did translanguaging with the use of Bisaya to further discuss and explain the knowledge in English.

“During this time that we are meeting virtually sa students. I have a rule sa akong klase  nga if they understood my explanation, they will just give me thumbs up ug nay mga pangutana is  mag raise hand. Usually in this type of engagement namo like giving the English explanation first then followed by Cebuano mas ma-gets gyud sa mga bata ang topic. It is proven with their scores sa mga test nga akong gina conduct saila.” Teacher 2 explained.  

In figure 2, it was clearly showed that her strategy was effective for both teacher 2 and her students. The students showed participation by giving thumbs up as a response of their understanding to the explanation.

Table III. Teacher 3

Extract 8: English – Bisaya  Teacher: Okay let us now continue discussing the main approaches in writing a literary critique. As mentioned last time, there were two school of thoughts that will be discussed today. These two schools of thoughts are those mga ideya or tinuhu-an sa tao. Let’s go back first, when you say psychological  approach, it means that the reader or critic looks at the psychological motivation of the characteristics in  order to figure out the meaning of the work or the literary piece. (Okay let us now continue discussing the main approaches in writing a literary critique. As mentioned  last time, there were two school of thoughts that will be discussed today. These two schools of thoughts  are those ideas and principles of other people. Let’s go back first, when you say psychological approach,  it means that the reader or critic looks at the psychological motivation of the characteristics in order to  figure out the meaning of the work or the literary piece.) Teacher: … According to Sigmund Freud we have the 3 human parts of the psyche or consciousness panimuot kung sa bisaya pa. These are the sub-conscious or the id…. followed by the median which is  our ego and our most perfect self the superego. These 3 are all manifested by our consciousness or  behaviour or nilihukan nga ginapakita sa tao. What you are right now, kung unsa ka karon, unsa imung  nilihukan ug the way you act in certain situations are all manifestations of these interactions of the 3  human psyche. Everyone got it? Can I see a thumbs up? (According to Sigmund Freud we have the 3 human parts of the psyche or consciousness These are the  sub-conscious or the id…. followed by the median which is our ego and our most perfect self the  superego. These 3 are all manifested by our consciousness or behaviour. What you are right now, and  the way you act in certain situations are all manifestations of these interactions of the 3 human psyche.  Everyone got it? Can I see a thumbs up?) Student: (Students gave thumbs up) Teacher: There is an example of these 3 manifestations of the human psyche class in films. Our devil  and angel are whispering to us class how we would act in a particular situation…let say for example, you  are looking at a 1000 peso bill on your table and here comes ang devil mu-honghong nga “kwaa  na…kwaa na” and then your angel which is your superego “keep it. Hiposa lang ug igna imung parents nga nakita nimu or ibilin lang dha sa lamisa. Do not keep it within yourself because it is not yours.” This is how your superego lets you do the best or the good thing. (There is an example of these 3 manifestations of the human psyche class in films. Our devil and angel  are whispering to us class how we would act in a particular situation…let say for example, you are looking  at a 1000-peso bill on your table and here comes the devil that will whisper “get the money… get it” and  then your angel which is your superego “keep it. And tell your parents that you saw the money or just put  it on the table. Do not keep it within yourself because it is not yours.” This is how your superego lets you do the best or the good thing.)

Table 3 shows the manifestation of translanguaging of teacher 3 in the virtual classroom of which teacher 3 uses the English language as a medium of instruction in giving lessons to her students and changes from English to Bisaya once. Teacher 3 considers the changing of language as a teaching strategy because most of the students are asking her to also speak Bisaya for some  instruction.

“It is a teaching strategy for me. This is because most of the students are asking me to also speak bisaya for some instruction. So, my way of using this strategy is to give them examples in a Cebuano language or Bisaya and even to some other instances during discussion if there is an immediate need of switching language from English to Bisaya.”

She has her way of using this strategy by giving the students examples in a Cebuano language or Bisaya and even to some other instances during discussion if there is an immediate need of switching language from English to Bisaya.

This finding supported Ofelia and Angel’s (2017) claim in their study that scholars and learners identified bilingualism as a useful instrument in learning and cognitive development, and Lewis (2012) clarifies that translanguaging refers to using one language to reinforce the other in order to improve understanding and activity of the students in both languages.

“There are two advantages though they are just synonymous. Better retention and better understanding. It has been proven through their scores constantly. It is better if Cebuano language/dialect is used during the discussion and in delivering examples. Students would better understand the concept that you are discussing.”

Teacher 3 added two advantages in using this strategy. These are for better retention and better understanding. She then added that it has been proven through her students’ scores constantly and her students’ participation in using Bisaya during the discussion and in delivering examples.

The statement of teacher 3 confirmed the central claim of Grice in the relevance theory, in which Grice stated that utterances establish expectations that lead the listener to the speaker’s meaning. The goal was to figure out what these relevance expectations were and how they may help to come up with a credible comprehension account.

As translanguaging transpires during discussions, teacher 3 affirms that she encounters issues in language production. This issue is when she is looking for a specific term and yet she is having a hard time to produce that word. Yet, she denotes that this instance is normal because she is not a native speaker. So, it is understandable that sometimes English teachers like her would have difficulty in grasping some other vocabulary words that wanted to be uttered during classes.

“It’s a great assistance because it will increase understanding and retention and it is already proven several times through their quizzes and participation because they would really get the  concept if you are going to contextualize examples all the time alongside giving it with Cebuano  dialect with English. It’s not a barrier at all.”

Teacher 3 considers the strategy of changing language as a great assistance to learning because according to her, it will increase understanding and retention and it has already been proven several times through her students’ quizzes and participation. This strategy is an effective way of letting her students get the concept if she is going to contextualize examples all the time alongside giving it with Bisaya language with English. According to teacher 3, apart from better retention and understanding, it would also create a more comfortable environment for the teacher towards their students.

This result supported the study of Ofelia and Angel (2017) that according to Baker (2001), bilingual education discovered how the activity of translanguaging helped students acquire meaning, knowledge, and develop comprehension.

Figure 3 Thought Process

Figure 3 showed the thought process of teacher 3. The figure showed that teacher 3 started the lesson with a recap of the previous lesson and added the knowledge in English. The knowledge in English was then supported with examples in Bisaya.

“I always simplify everything during discussion and take up real life experience as an example to the students. Usually, pag mu mix ko ug language is automatic nagyud labi na if naa na akong students and especially if feeling nako lisod ang terms nga akong ge use. I tend to use other terms nga mas simple in order for them to catch and understood the topic.” Teacher 3 mentioned during the one-on-one virtual interview.

In figure 3, the thought process of teacher 3 was much longer and detailed as she explained to her students everything with real-life examples. In this figure, it was then proven that this strategy was effective for both teacher 3 and her students. The students showed participation by giving thumbs up as a response of their understanding to the explanation.

Table IV. Teacher 4

Extract 9: English – Bisaya  Teacher: Let us now proceed to data collection. First we have sampling. Sampling means selecting group  that you will collect data from in your research. So when we say sampling it means unsay pamaagi nimu  para makuha nimu imung data. (Let us now proceed to data collection. First we have sampling. Sampling means selecting group that  you will collect data from in your research. So when we say sampling it means the way on how you are  going to select and get your data.) Teacher: In terms of data analysis. In qualitative research, raw data are words and in quantitative  research raw data are numbers. What do we mean by raw data? Raw data is kato nang purely nakuha  nga data gkan sa imung pag study wala ninyo na sya ge usab or ge hilabtan. Kung unsa ang tubag sa  inyong respondent mao na siya ang raw data. (In terms of data analysis. In qualitative research, raw data are words and in quantitative research raw  data are numbers. What do we mean by raw data? Raw data is purely the data that you got from your  respondents. You didn’t change anything.) Student: Sir, medyo naglibog ko sa difference between data analysis and data collection. (Sir, I am having difficulty of understanding the difference between data analysis and data collection.) Teacher: Do you want me to go over it again? Student: Yes Sir. Teacher: So sa data analysis from the term itself analysis, you have to have a detailed examination from  your raw data mao ni ang imung pag examine paglantaw ug ayo sa imung nakuha nga mga information.  Before the data analysis is the data collection wherein here you will conduct or ways to get your data. Data gathering dire nga part kung unsa imung pamaagi nga makuha ang imung data nga kailangan. Nasabtan ra ba ? (So in data analysis from the term itself analysis, you have to have a detailed examination from your raw  data what will happen here is that you will have a thorough examination of your data. Before the data  analysis is the data collection wherein here you will conduct or ways to get your data. Data gathering is  the part of research where you will now gather or get the accurate data from your chosen respondents.  Did you get it?) Student: Yes Sir.

Extract 10: English – Filipino, Filipino – Bisaya  Teacher: We have Qualitative sampling. It has to be purposive. Kapag sinabing purposive kailangan  mayroon kang predetermined o naitukoy na na subject of your research. Kumbaga naa namoy ideya  kung mu ingun ka ug tanan HUMSS 12 sila imung subject saimung study ug mao na ang subject. (We have Qualitative sampling. It has to be purposive. If we say purposive, it means we need to have a  predetermined idea of your research. If you will say all HUMSS 12 are your subjects it means only  HUMSS 12 are your subject)

Extract 11: English – Filipino  Teacher: We have the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative research. In Quantitative study, it is  relatively easy to analyze because of its numerical data. bakit sya madaling e analyze? Kasi numbers  lang ang kailangan at basehan ng data. The only thing you have to consider here is the quantity or  number of participants that answered a particular question. (We have the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative research. In Quantitative study, it is relatively  easy to analyze because of its numerical data. Why is it easy to analyze? Because it only uses numbers  as the basis of the data. The only thing you have to consider here is the quantity or number of participants  that answered a particular question.) Teacher: Findings can be generalized to the population about which information is required. So, kapag  sinabi na “In Corpus Christi Parochial School of Iligan” Sa Corpus Christi lang din na generalization. You  cannot say that this also happens in other schools. Okay? Hindi mo pwedeng ilagay sa paper mo na  parehas din itong nangyayari sa ibang schools. (Findings can be generalized to the population about which information is required. So,if we are going to  say that your locale is in Corpus Christi Parochial School of Iligan, then you will also have your  generalization about Corpus Christi as well. You cannot say that this also happens in other schools.  Okay? You cannot put in your paper that it also happens in other schools)

Extract 12: Filipino – Bisaya; English – Bisaya Teacher: Hindi pwedeng from Corpus Christi na study parehas nangyari din sa St. Micheals. Although,  St. Micheals can also do a study the same but your study will now be the basis of their study na. Okay?  Dili gyud pwede class nga inyong locale of the study is dire sa Corpus unya mu ingun mo nga parehas  pod ni nahitabo sa St.Micheals. Pero pwede kaayu mu buhat ug study ang St. Micheals nga parehas sa  inyo pero ang kuhaan na nila ug basis is ang inyoha nga Corpus Christi ang locale of the study. (It’s not valid that you will say it happens in Corpus Christi so it would also happen in St.Micheal’s.  Although, St. Micheals can also do a study the same but your study will now be the basis of their study.  Okay? It is really not okay class that your locale of the study is in Corpus then you will say it also  happened in St. Micheal’s. But St. Micheal’s can create their own study that is completely similar to you  but their basis now is your study.)

Table 4 shows the manifestation of translanguaging of teacher 4 in his virtual class of which teacher 4 used the English language as a medium of instruction in giving lessons to his students  and changed from English to Bisaya once, English to Filipino twice and Filipino to Bisaya once.  Teacher 4 is an English teacher that taught English for Academic Purposes and used changing o language as a teaching strategy.

“Sometimes we need to go down to the students’ level in order to explain further the  concepts and theories which are a bit alien for them. Based on my experience, most of my students are not really that good in using English as a common language in speaking and expressing their ideas.” 

According to him, this kind of teaching strategy would help the students understand the concepts and theories that are still alien to the students. He added that most of his students are in need of assistance in using the English language in speaking and expressing their ideas. Teacher 4 mentions the advantage of using Bisaya and Filipino languages that these languages would effectively function as a helping hand for him to explain the lesson in depth and with better understanding of the students which results in every participation and evaluation they had in class.

This result supported the idea of Cummins in the Second Language Acquisition Theory that the study of second language acquisition pathways allowed teachers to have a better understanding of how children learn a new language, especially the second language of the students. Considering this theory and the personal experience of both teachers and students can help to critically examine the language practice that suited different types of activity in learning the second language.

“I always have this difficulty in grasping some other terms in Filipino and Bisaya especiallywhen it comes to concepts and theories. I am also struggling to dissect some words just to really integrate to the students the closest meaning from these two other languages. English subject sometimes has words that are mostly westernized and our students would like to translate every word in our mother tongue but those words in English do not have a specific salin ng salita in our native language. That is why, during the lesson what I will do is to give more examples related to that word wherein it also happens locally in our place para mas makuha gyud sa mga students.”

It is also challenging for him in a way that in every class and discussion they had with his students, he should look for other terms in these languages in connection with English so that students will definitely get what he meant and what the topic is all about.

As teacher 4 uses translanguaging in his class, he also experienced issues in language production with these languages. According to him, he would always have this difficulty in grasping some other terms in Filipino and Bisaya especially when it comes to concepts and theories in English. Teacher 4 said that he is also having difficulty dissecting some words in order to truly integrate the closest meaning from the two other languages into the students’ understanding.

The above-mentioned statement of teacher 4 confirmed the idea of Garcia (2016) that revealed the confronted challenges of the teachers in linguistically diverse classrooms. In particular, situations in which students speak languages of which teachers have no knowledge raise questions and can create dilemmas around language policy in the classroom. One pedagogy that addresses these questions and dilemmas is translanguaging (Garcia, 2016).

Despite these issues in language production, teacher 4 considers changing of language a great assistance to his students’ learning because he believes that teachers should know that they need different strategies to cope up with the students’ level of knowledge. This strategy, the changing of language during discussion is a great help to the students to connect with the lesson and with their personal experience. It would create a positive energy inside the class because both the teacher and students are comfortable with the language use.

“I still believe that as a teacher we must be considerate, versatile and sensitive to the needs of our students. If you can sense that your students are struggling in their command of English then teachers should make some other adjustments and other strategies so that the students will understand the lesson.”

However, Teacher 4 pointed out that this assistance isn’t often used because their course is English, and students need to practice speaking English in order to have an advanced knowledge in their education such as in college. This finding supported the study of Ofelia and Angel (2017), as according to Baker (2001), bilingual education discovered how the action of translanguaging helped students acquire meaning, information, and enhance comprehension.

Figure 4 Thought Process

Figure 4 showed the thought process of teacher 4. The figure showed that teacher 4 started the lesson with an English knowledge and threw a question to the students to start the discussion.

“Throwing questions to the students is one of my ways para maka start ko sa lesson namo. Especially if mag review lang mi. Because kani akong tima-ilhan if the students were able to understand our lesson. I let them ask questions for them to freely engage themselves sa klase.”

In figure 4, the thought process of teacher 4 was very engaging towards the students as teacher 4 explained during the interview that he would let his students ask questions freely in order for them to be participative in class. In this way, effective communication was achieved as the students were able to participate and understand the lesson being discussed by teacher 4.

Table V. Teacher 5

Extract 13: English – Bisaya  (Discussing text structure- description) Teacher: We’ve already discussed the text structure description last meeting of which we read an  example of an article written by Marietta Gapud entitled ancestral house of Laguna. All these descriptive  details are all describing what we call the Mercado house. So, what is really the purpose of us knowing  a descriptive or description informational type of text structure? This is for us to be able to scrutinize the  generic description from the specific parts. Ang purpose kay para ma tan-awan jud ug ayo, thoroughly  gyud ha para makita ang kung unsay pangkalahatan sa specific or tinagsa or parts. Whole or tanan then  specific or tinagsa parts kumbaga. Nakuha ra class? (We’ve already discussed the text structure description last meeting of which we read an example of an  article written by Marietta Gapud entitled ancestral house of Laguna. All these descriptive details are all  describing what we call the Mercado house. So, what is really the purpose of us knowing a descriptive  or description informational type of text structure? This is for us to be able to scrutinize the generic  description from the specific parts.) Students: Yes cher. Nakuha ra. *Give thumbs up* Teacher: ..So usually class for descriptive type of text the main topic is explicitly stated. Explicitly stated  means that naka-display na makita na dayun inig basa. There is no need for you to scrutinize or dig deep  into the text because it is already there. This is already common for descriptive types of text. (So usually class for descriptive type of text the main topic is explicitly stated. Explicitly stated means  that it is already displayed the first time you will read it. There is no need for you to scrutinize or dig deep  into the text because it is already there. This is already common for descriptive types of text.)

Extract 14: English – Bisaya  Teacher: Another thing, I wanted to emphasize the difference between identification and description is  that what you will be seeing in the definition are generic descriptions. Okay, ang inyong mabasa sa  definition kay mga generic nga description sa statement na siya generic as what I’ve said earlier as a  whole kibali. But with that of descriptive texts are concrete details or specific details; mostly can be  perceived by our senses. (Another thing, I wanted to emphasize the difference between identification and description is that what  you will be seeing in the definition are generic descriptions. Okay, what you will read in the definition are  all generic description of the statement. Generic as what I’ve said earlier as a whole. But with that of  descriptive texts are concrete details or specific details; mostly can be perceived by our senses.) Teacher: It’s not similar to identification because usually the writer if they will be using examples to define  an object or concept in a descriptive text mostly they will just be using generic descriptions not detailed  ones. Okay, so ang kalahian langgyud nila ni identification ug description is ang identification and  ginahatag is generic or main nga description tapos ang descriptive type of text kato nang detalyado gyud  nga description. (It’s not similar to identification because usually the writer if they will be using examples to define an  object or concept in a descriptive text mostly, they will just be using generic descriptions not detailed  ones. Okay, so the difference between identification and description is that identification is generic or the  main description while the descriptive type of text has a more detailed description.)

Table 5 shows the manifestation of translanguaging of teacher 5 of which she uses the English language as a medium of instruction in giving lessons to her students and changes from English to Bisaya twice. Teacher 5 is an English teacher in Senior high school.

“When I provide instruction to my students, I utilize mix languages to help them understand the idea.” 

She affirms that changing of language is her strategy of keeping her students engaged inside the class and during discussion. The reason for teacher 5 was the use of different languages  when providing instruction will help the students understand the topic and its main features in a  comfortable way and fastest pace especially that their virtual synchronous class is only limited. She added that using this type of strategy will keep a better understanding and lifelong learning to the students.

This result suggested and confirmed the study of Ofelia and Angel (2017) that Lewis (2012) emphasized that translanguaging refers to using one language to reinforce the other in order to improve students’ learning and activity in both languages.

Teacher 5 mentioned the advantage of using Filipino and Bisaya language during English  class and this is the development of students’ comfortability in expressing their ideas especially if  teacher 5 would witness that the student is now struggling in getting the correct terms and phrases  in English.

In the presence of translanguaging issues in language production is always present.  Teacher 5 added as she mentions her experience in every class of having a hard time finding additional terms in Bisaya that would fit a specific English word in order to simplify its meaning and its main point.

“It would make the students more attached to the topic and the subject because it would be easier for them to understand what us teachers are saying. And simply because students are also looking forward to some other terms as reference to the phrase or statement new to them.”

Despite this issue, teacher 5 remarkably said that this way of teaching is a great assistance to the students’ learning of which students will be able to confidently share their ideas  and connect with the lesson. However, she notes that students should bear in mind that these languages dialects are just used for deepening a particular explanation that students are finding it hard to understand.

The statement of teacher 5 revealed the claim of Grice as he created the inferential model of communication under relevance theory. Grice explained that the inferential model stated that a communicator gave evidence of the purpose to convey a specific meaning, which the audience infers based on the evidence presented. To connect this in the study, the above-mentioned statement of teacher 5 giving explanation in a Cebuano language was the evidence in order for the students to convey a meaning and would be able to connect with the subject matter. From this evidence, students will learn from the given evidence from the teacher.

Figure 5 Thought Process

Figure 5 showed the thought process of teacher 5. The figure showed that teacher 5 started the lesson with an opening question and followed by an English knowledge to start the discussion.  Teacher 5 explained the English knowledge in Bisaya to supplement the complex meaning and ideas from the original knowledge.

“One of my favorite ways to begin a lecture is by asking the students questions related to the topic. I wanted to measure their prior knowledge to a particular thing and test their speaking skills in English as well. I can see gyud nga mas interactive ang mga bata especially if they know the terms that I am saying during the discussion. I would always remind them to always practice speaking English until they would be confident enough to express their ideas gyud.”

Figure 5 showed the thought process of teacher 5 as effective communication was achieved when students were able to participate during the discussion. This clearly showed that translanguaging was an effective kind of strategy in order to achieve the common goal of communication, shared meaning. Translanguaging is the act performed by bilinguals of accessing different linguistic features or various languages, in order to improve communicative potential. Hence, translanguaging focuses on communication, not about language itself. It shows the complete meaning of the conversation and makes the conversation make sense to it.

CONCLUSION

In the final analysis, this study determined that the inclusion of translanguaging as a pedagogical tool affects the teaching process in a classroom positively. Apart from all the issues and difficulties the teachers experienced, most of them believed that changing language is a new type of effective communication as it is proven by a class assessment and participation. Especially, when the teachers used English with a mix of Bisaya and Filipino during discussion, students proved that they understood and grasped the main points of the lesson. This study proved the connection of relevance theory and speech act theory. It showed in this study that students implied the teachers’ meaning from the information being supplied to them and that translanguaging was a great tool for them to acquire the true meaning of the topic during discussion. Thus, speech act theory supported the idea in this study that explained the words uttered by the teachers used to convey meaning and flexibly create and gain a deeper knowledge from the teacher to the students.

MTB-MLE or the Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education was one of the essential parts of this study as it showed how the teachers used this as a pedagogical tool during discussion and a great assistance in achieving the integration of the subject matter and deeper understanding of the topic that resulted to the positive feedback and high scores of the students. In connection to the Second Language Acquisition Theory, the study proved that this theory tapped on allowing teachers to let the students have a better understanding of the subject matter with the help of other languages aside from their native language.

This study revealed that using translanguaging in a classroom discussion can be a considerable assistance in learning because it increases student engagement and evaluation during formal oral recitation and performance assignments. All of the output and scores of the students have indicated an improvement towards the assessment and evaluation as it also has an impact on their understanding of the main features of the lesson. However, there are only a few studies about translanguaging in a multilingual educational setting, as most of the studies focused on bilingual education. This study will serve as a solid foundation for future researchers to investigate the influence of translanguaging in a bilingual classroom because it provides a broader view of both teachers and students.

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