Translanguaging practices in adult ESL classrooms: Fostering investment in language learning and identity construction

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of translanguaging practices in adult ESL classrooms in shaping learners’ investment in language learning, particularly their engagement, language preference in external interactions, and identity construction. Using translanguaging as a theoretical framework and adopting a qualitative ethnographic approach, data were gathered from five adult immigrant learners participating in an intermediate-level English-speaking course. Each learner wrote a total of ten weekly narratives in a shared Google Doc about their experiences of using language in real life. Learners were instructed to use their preferred language(s) in brainstorming sessions and producing narratives. To analyze the data, learners’ written narratives and brainstorming session notes were collected. The findings of the study show that translanguaging practices in the adult language classroom not only foster learners’ investment in language learning but also function as a decolonizing tool that promotes justice by advocating learners’ linguistic identities, facilitating meaningful communication both inside and beyond the classroom.