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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Rationale

Schools all over the world, typically, follow the provision of the use of English

as medium of instruction. This ensures the analyses of the operation of

translanguaging (Hurst & Mona, 2017). Translanguaging guarantees the insertion of

prominent language pedagogies that may incorporate the utilization of one or more

languages. Translanguaging, therefore, defines recontextulaization of classroom

stratagems (Canagarajah, 2011). Subsequently, Baker (2011) theorizes that the

underachievement of bilinguals is due to mismatch between languages of home and

school, coupled with relative social and economic development. If this is true, then

educators and schools need to look at how teachers support bilinguals and how they

react when students use their language repertoire inside the classroom.  

The researcher has observed this phenomenon where students confidently

express their answer when they use their language repertoire, particularly in

literature. This supports that translanguaging empowers one to be confident in

one’s identity and to draw from one’s background to communicate effectively with a

clear voice (Canagarajah, 2011).  Within the field of bilingual education, there is a

growing movement to view students’ multiple languages as resources (Garcia &

Sylvan, 2011; Garcia & Wei, 2014). The paradigmatic change displaces decades of
schooling where bilingual youth were discouraged, shamed, and punished, for

speaking their home languages in school (Arreguin-Anderson & Ruiz-Escalante,

2014; Guerra, 2012). 

In place of the traditional perspective (Gonzalez, Moll, &Amanti, 2005) and past

negative views of bilingualism (Baker, 2011),  the researcher and students developed

a language policy for speaking fluency in their English class using translanguaing as

a method. In addition, the study aimed to know the feedback of language policy and

translanguaging to students’ speaking fluency.  

The Problem

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of translanguaging to the

speaking fluency of the Grade 9 students in a public national high school.

Specifically, this study was concerned with finding answers to the following

research questions:

1. What is the translanguaging policy developed by the students and

teachers?

2. What are the pretest and posttest English speaking fluency performance of

the students?
 3. Is there a significant difference between the pretest and posttest English

speaking fluency performance of the students?

4. What is the feedback of the students on the use of translanguaging in

developing their speaking fluency?

5. What are the teacher’s observations on the use of translanguaging to

students’ speaking fluency?

References

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