Considerations in Utilizing Translanguaging Practices to Meet the Language Needs of Maya Children in U.S. Schools

Abstract

Purpose: Meeting the needs of Maya children in U.S. schools requires exten-sive training. Research is lacking in best practices to support students with intersectional identities. This article provides a roadmap centralized on Maya children’s experiences, acknowledging the linguistic diversity of Maya immi-grants, their language and cultural practices, and their integration into or exclu-sion from minoritized and White neighborhoods in the United States to provide a starting point for culturally responsive service delivery. Conclusions: Supporting the needs of Maya children requires an approach that values and recognizes their intersectional identities while developing collabora-tive relationships with students, families, and educators. Application of the road-map will support to (a) identify educational obstacles faced by Maya children, (b) integrate translanguaging to support best practices for educational success, and (c) determine service delivery considerations for bilingual/trilingual, multicultural children. More research on the topic is needed to establish evidence-based practice guidelines to utilize a translanguaging pedagogy within speech-language pathology.