The Potential of Developing Pedagogical Translanguaging in a Private University in Indonesia: A Study of Teachers’ Beliefs

Abstract

Adopting translanguaging as a pedagogical practice may help teachers overcome challenges existing in Indonesian EFL. However, the implementation of translanguaging pedagogy is complex. Although translanguaging often occurs spontaneously in EFL teaching practices, most educational institutions and stakeholders still perceive a monolingual approach as the best practice in EFL. The current study looks at the prospect of developing spontaneous translanguaging into pedagogical translanguaging in a private university in Indonesia. This study aims to reveal teachers’ beliefs about translanguaging by looking at their perspectives and stances toward translanguaging, as well as understanding how spontaneous translanguaging occurs in their classes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations. The study participants were English teachers at a private university in Central Java, Indonesia. The study found that most teachers have a positive view of translanguaging. In addition, most of the teachers have an epistemic stance toward translanguaging, which indicates that teachers consciously choose to perform translanguaging. The study also found that teachers practiced translanguaging using Indonesian and Javanese for different purposes. These findings suggest that teachers are ready to apply translanguaging as a pedagogical practice.