Translanguaging as a Method in Literary Works: A Case Study of the Chinese Literary Work Food Is Heaven

Abstract

Food Is Heaven, written by Ge Liang (2022), has achieved phenomenal success since its publication. The innovative use of vernacular and classical Chinese, vivid narration of food, and multilingual interactions among characters have introduced readers to translanguaging aesthetics. Translanguaging, as a methodological and theoretical framework of language communication and human cognition (Li, 2011a, 2011b, 2018, 2022a), is regarded as a literary device in Food Is Heaven. The lens of translanguaging emphasizes multisensory, multimodal, multisemiotic, and multilingual communication, fostering creative and critical approaches to meaning-making by transcending the boundaries of semiotic and linguistic divides. Literary works, serving as imaginative reflections of daily practices, bridge the gap between reality and imagination, embracing creative and aesthetic narrations in their meaning-making. However, few studies have explored literary works in light of translanguaging. This article aims to explore how translanguaging is employed as a literary device through a case study of the phenomenal Chinese book Food Is Heaven, written by Ge Liang (2022). Through the lens of translanguaging, we examine the creativity and criticality of the writer’s innovative language philosophy, exploring how translanguaging is employed to break linguistic and semiotic boundaries, offering readers an embodied reading experience.