Critical Evaluation of Translanguaging in College English Courses

Abstract

This paper discusses the effectiveness of translanguaging as a teaching method in the context of Chinese university English courses. The researcher introduces the current methods of teaching English in this context and compares them with translanguaging. The researcher finds that code-switching is perhaps more common in Chinese university English classrooms than translanguaging. At the same time, the researcher suggests that the use of translanguaging may help Chinese teachers to move away from being supervisory teachers and thus build a more harmonious teacher-student relationship. Finally, the authors suggest that translanguaging can contribute to a multilingual environment, thereby fostering multiculturalism in Chinese university English programmes and fostering students’ growth towards global citizenship.