Translanguaging and translanguaging practices in the Catalan educational system: Evolution and impact of the concept

Abstract

This article analyzes the concept of translanguaging in order to discuss the multilingual practices of speakers and to investigate the application of this concept within the educational context of Catalonia. It is divided into five sections. In the first one, the concept is defined, outlining the characteristics of the fixed language approach and the fluid (or dynamic) approach, while also addressing the main criticisms of the concept. In the second section, the application of translanguaging within the Catalan educational system is examined, demonstrating its relationship to the design and implementation of a plurilingual and intercultural educational model. The third section focuses on the results of studies that investigate the impact of translanguaging practices in the Catalan educational system. These studies indicate that translanguaging can have a beneficial effect on promoting classroom interaction, though it remains unclear whether this effect applies to the learning of the Catalan language. In the fourth section, the significance of the concept for the Catalan educational system is debated. It is argued that the fixed-language translanguaging approach has been implemented in Catalonia and, while the results regarding the benefits of translanguaging are still inconclusive, the importance of the sociolinguistic context for its implementation is emphasized. The article concludes with the idea that the term translanguaging needs to be coherently applied according to the local socio-political and educational context. In the case of the teaching of Catalan, we advocate the application of an integrated fixed-fluid definition of language in view of the status of Catalan as a minoritized language within a dynamically evolving multilingual setting.