How do children go through a heteroglossic path to becoming bilingual? Comparison of Korean children’s translanguaging performance in first and third grade classrooms

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study employed a discourse analysis methodology to compare Korean bilingual students in first and third grades by examining different functions and forms of translanguaging in Korean heritage language (HL) classrooms in the U.S. By identifying linguistic functions and forms of each translanguaging occurrence, the study presents that the bilingual students engaged in translanguaging practices in support of their meaning- and sense-making processes. Overall, six translanguaging functions were commonly identified by the first and third graders, but different forms of translanguaging are presented in each grade in support of the functions. The comparison findings from constant comparative analyzes display that the older graders employed translanguaging in more varied forms and for more various purposes than the younger graders because they recognized when to use which language by regulating a higher level of their cognitive thinking skills. As a result, the third graders’ translanguaging performance appears to be more strategic and sophisticated than its use by the younger graders. The findings provide pedagogical and methodological implications for educators in bilingual and HL education.

KEYWORDS:

• Bilingual students
• translanguaging
• classroom discourse
• heritage language
• biliteracy

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Chaehyun Lee

Dr. Chaehyun Lee is an assistant professor in Elementary and ESL/Bilingual Education in Educational Instruction and Leadership at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She teaches undergraduate courses on teaching reading and writing, language arts, and social studies for elementary/middle-school pre-service teachers. She teaches graduate courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) and Bilingual Education for in-service teachers working with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Her research interests include bilingualism, biliteracy development, heritage language learning, multicultural education, and teacher education. Her research helps teachers of English learners and bilingual students implement appropriate classroom practices and prepare appropriate courses and materials for their students' bilingual and biliteracy development.