Blog Post # 7- Translanguaging and Fan-Fiction

A common theme that I found in both of these articles was the experiences of a student learning English who has very developed literacy in their first language (L1).  Knobel and Lankshear speak of students able to "co-design a social and learning-based space where native and non-native English speakers alike are able to display expertise and build on their different forms of personal, cultural, and linguistic capital," (9).  In differentiating between translanguaging and code-switching, Cruz and Seltzer assert that a bilingual person has "complex language and cultural practices that are fluid and changing depending on the particular situation and the local practice," (9).  While Cruz and Seltzer see people as not being "two monolinguals in one,"  (9), they see the student as having a depth of skills that can be transferred, depending on the home or school situation, and on the appropriate way in which the student must express himself.

The practices mentioned in the Fan-fiction article seemed good, in theory, but not appropriate for my students.  The Mandarin and English - speaking student mentioned is clearly educated, and able to utilize multiple genre knowledge to create his writing piece, and to read and respond to feedback from readers.  It is clear that this student has been inspired, and it excited about the writing process.
This has not been my experience in any of the populations I have taught as an ESL (ENL) teacher.  I sometimes say it would be "easy if he/ she just had to learn English."  Often times, my ESL students arrive with interrupted education, being several levels below grade-level in their L1 reading, traumatized, separated and/ or reunited from family, and with an uncertain immigration status.  All of these factors, combined with socio-economic status, make the "learning English" almost seem secondary at times. 

The idea of translanguaging is empowering to students who have weak literacy in the "native language".  In fact, it "disrupts" the notion of "native language" and sees language acquisition as not having a "hierarchy" (10).  I often tell my emerging and transitional students that they speak two languages, even if they don't think they speak English.  They do.  There isn't a "percentage" of English that they need to know in order to be considered a "speaker" of English (though New York State may disagree...)  .  The idea that translanguaging "facilitates comprehension and allows emergent bilinguals to tackle academically challenging tasks" (11) is quite empowering and gives the students credit for being successful academically, regardless of their state-determined English language level.