In this entry, I’m going to talk about the differences between translation and translanguaging and whether or not these two notions can co-exist in English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) classrooms.
The term ‘translation’ is a popular concept used to refer to the changing of one named language into another with the same meaning. Translation, either oral or written, can refer to both the process and/or the end-product. In language education, this term is primarily associated with the Grammar Translation Method (GTM). But translanguaging is always a process, not something seen as a final product.
Both translation and translanguaging are bi/multilingual practices. From the standpoint of translation, different languages are viewed as separate entities, while translanguaging refers to dynamic language practices that move beyond the boundaries of what we identify as different languages. Translanguaging shifts our traditional understanding of bilingualism, which views two languages as distinct and independent. From a translanguaging point of view, individuals interact by drawing on features of their linguistic repertoire that are considered appropriate in the interaction.
But translanguaging does not deny that translation remains essential for interactions with (emergent) bi/multilingual individuals who do not understand the language being used in the interactions, or who are required to use a particular language due to the demands of society, including educational institutions.
So, the question I have been asking myself is whether we can integrate translation and translanguaging in language instruction, particularly in the English-as-a-foreign (EFL) classroom. Translation has had negative connotations since the twentieth century because modern instructional methods like communicative language teaching and the direct method emerged and promoted the use of the target language exclusively for EFL learning.
But research has demonstrated that translation helps students to improve their language awareness and performance. Also, translational tools like Google Translate and ChatGPT are an increasing presence in 21st-century language instruction.
I have also seen myself that translanguaging can play an important role in EFL classrooms. It can enhance students' understanding and integration of knowledge in a cooperative setting, by valuing students’ existing language resources.
In my work, I have found that both translation and translanguaging can benefit language learning in the multilingual context of Indonesia, and thinking about them together can help to foster critical language awareness in students.
Further reading
Baynham, M., & Lee, T. K. (2019). Translation and translanguaging. In Translation and Translanguaging. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315158877
Putrawan, G. E., Mahpul, Sinaga, T., Poh, S. K., & Dekhnich, O. V. (2022). Beliefs about multilingualism with respect to translanguaging: A survey among pre-service EFL teachers in Indonesia. Integration of Education, 26(4), 756–770.
Sato, E., & García, O. (2023). Translanguaging, translation and interpreting studies, and bilingualism. The Routledge Handbook of Translation, Interpreting and Bilingualism, 328–345. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003109020-27