Teaching writing in globalized learning communities – from multilingualism to translingualism

22nd Penn State Conference on Rhetoric and Composition – Rhetoric and Writing across Language Boundaries 2011

David Schwarzer – Mary FuchsMontclair State University

The purposes of this presentation

The purpose of this paper is to re-frame the concept of language and literacy development in transnational and multilingual glocalized learning communities.

This talk will have 4 sections: Five metaphors that describe this phenomenon in a static way. Example – Linguistic landscape – multiliteracy dig – environmental

print. Introduce and define “translingual and transliteracy education” as a

new way to frame the phenomenon of study. Provide concrete examples for English teachers

Five metaphors

Language and literacy development (unmarked) Language and Literacy defined by its context Political, Hegemonic and resistance powers of

English Beyond monolingual views of language and

literacy development Attempts for more fluid conceptualizations

Language and literacy development (unmarked)

Language and literacy development Rhetoric and composition Language arts

Language and Literacy defined by its context

Migrant Immigrant Borderland epistemology Binational Multinational

Political, Hegemonic and Resistance powers of English

English as a Second Language English as an additional language English language learner Limited English Proficient English as a world language

Beyond monolingual views of language and literacy development

Second Language Acquisition Bilingual – emergent bilingual Trilingual Multilingual

Attempts for more fluid conceptualizations

Transnational education Hybridity Third space Dynamic bilingualism World minded educator Translingual education

Linguistic Landscapes – Multiliteracy dig – Environmental Print

Linguistic objects that mark the public space (Ben-Rafael et al., 2006). LL reveal social realities as they are evidence of socio-political forces,

cultural identities, and linguistic heritage language representations relates to issues of the relative power and status of the different languages in a specific sociolinguistic context (Cenoz & Gorter, 2008)

"private" vs. "public" signs - signs issued by public authorities (like government, municipalities or public agencies) and signs issued by individuals, associations, or firms acting more or less autonomously in the limits authorized by official regulations (Ben-Rafael et al., 2006)

Linguistic Landscape of Harrison, NJ

3 schools and 1,783 students 180 (approx. 10%) are classified as LEP Student population is: 9% Asian, 1% African-

American, 58% Hispanic, 32% Caucasian 19% of students below poverty level The districts spends $400,000 on bilingual

education annually

Translingualism in Harrison

Trans-language learner? Jonietz (1994)

“If the traditional terms are not really applicable, is there a more appropriate term? Is it possible that these learners are ‘trans-language learners’ (TLL)? Trans-language learner is a term which describes an individual who moves from a maternal/native language to competence in an additional environmental/instructional language and culture.” (p.43)

Translingual Writers –Kellman (2003)

Translingual authors as “those who write in more than one language or in a language other than their primary one.” (p. ix)

By expressing themselves in multiple verbal systems, [translingual writers] flaunt their freedom from the constrains of the culture into which they happen to be born (ix). Kellman (2003)

Cutter, M. J. (2005) Book (review of Kellman 2003)

Translingualism as a subject is certainly worthy of theorization and study… However, the definition of translingualism presented here is very broad and the collection as a whole therefore remains rather diffuse and unfocused. Problematically, Kellman never distinguishes translingualism from bilingualism, multilingualism, or ambibilingualism. (p.199)

Proposing a new definition: translingualism/transliteracy

1. Languages and literacies that develop while interacting with each other in a dynamic and fluid way

2. while moving back and forth between real and “imagined” glocalized borders

3. and transacting with different cultural identities within a unified self. (Schwarzer, in preparation)

Transliteracy Education

Concrete Examples for English Teachers

Translingual teacher as an orchestrator Translingual linguistic landscape project Visits by community members Multilingual word wall Written assignments in heritage language Family Language Use Tree Community Language Use Tree Identity Texts