Exploring the Interplay of Translanguaging: Interactions of Bilingual Students and Their Family Members During Literacy-Infused Science Activities

Abstract

In this study, I explored the interplay of translanguaging and science learning in informal learning environments between bilingual students and their family members through home-based observation. Several researchers have shown that translanguaging enables bilingual/multilingual learners to comprehend texts, construct meaning from texts, and develop critical ideas across content areas (Song & Cho, 2018; Vogel et al., 2020). Although many studies have shown the technological affordances in language learning and teaching bilingual/multilingual classrooms between students and teachers, to date, no studies have investigated how learning environments can leverage translanguaging between bilingual students and parents/family members at their homes. I examined how nine fifth grade bilingual students and parents/family members were immersed in the informal learning environments and translanguaging while working on research-based literacy-infused science activities. The data were collected through home-based observations. Participants were fifth grade bilingual Spanish-English students and their parents/family members who were provided with two pairs of video-recording glasses and a take-home literacy-science activity. The video-recording glasses captured the translanguaging occurrences between parents and students in their homes. A combination of quantitative statistical analysis and qualitative interpretation was used to analyze the recorded videos. For quantitative analysis, I developed and applied the Translanguaging in Scientific Activities rubric to evaluate students and parents' engagement in both emergent and strong versions of translanguaging while completing the science activity. For qualitative analysis, I analyzed the recorded interactions on how translanguaging affected cognitive processing skills and the meaning-making process that helped parents and students to successfully complete the literacy-science tasks. Both parents and students took the “expert” roles as they were engaged in informal science learning to promote both emergent and strong translanguaging in different stages of science talk (e.g., naming, explaining, evaluating, and performing). I argue that translanguaging in informal learning environments encourages both parents and students to actively use their holistic linguistic repertoire and accomplish content activity and build a more engaging environment for learning.