Doing Research
What Is Translanguaging, and Why Does It Matter?
Translanguaging is more than just using multiple languages in education; it’s a dynamic way of engaging learners’ full linguistic repertoires. This post explores the concept and its transformative potential in classrooms, particularly through the lens of ongoing research at the Barker Institute and its application at Marri Mittigar, Barker’s special assistance school for children and young people of refugee experience.
At its heart, translanguaging involves recognising and valuing the complex, flexible ways multilingual learners draw on all their language resources to make meaning. Instead of viewing languages as separate systems, translanguaging encourages learners to seamlessly shift between them to enhance comprehension, expression, and learning. For example, a student might use Dari to brainstorm ideas, English to draft a paragraph, and then back to Dari to clarify concepts with peers. This process not only reinforces linguistic competence across languages but also fosters a sense of belonging and identity by affirming students’ cultural and linguistic heritage.
Research at the Barker Institute continues to highlight the transformative potential of translanguaging, particularly in supporting students of refugee background. Many of these learners arrive with rich linguistic skills in languages other than English and have experienced disrupted schooling or significant challenges in accessing education. Translanguaging creates a bridge between their existing knowledge and new learning, offering a pathway to academic success while reducing the pressure to conform to monolingual norms.
At Marri Mittigar, translanguaging is woven into teaching and learning practices. The lower secondary grouping of students is currently engaged in learning content from the NESA Stage 4 History syllabus: at the moment, the focus is the ancient world – specifically, Ancient Egypt. But the starting point for every lesson is that every lesson is a language lesson. Teachers for this group encourage students to use their home languages alongside English, whether by annotating texts in multiple languages, collaborating on projects with bilingual peers, or drawing on their linguistic skills to solve problems. They want them to develop their first language as well as their second language (in this case, English). This approach seeks not only to support students’ academic progress but also build their confidence and agency as learners.
The Barker Institute’s ongoing research examines the impact of these practices, contributing to a broader understanding of how translanguaging can reshape education for children and young people of refugee background in Australia and elsewhere. We are documenting the successes and challenges of this approach to help highlight how translanguaging is a key tool for inclusive education.
Why does this all even matter? What is the impact of all of this? In today’s increasingly globalised world, fostering multilingualism is not just an educational strategy—it’s a necessity. Translanguaging equips students with the skills to navigate diverse linguistic and cultural landscapes, empowering them to thrive in both local and global contexts. Moreover, it humanises education by celebrating the linguistic and cultural richness that every student brings to the classroom.
Through translanguaging, schools like Marri Mittigar demonstrate that embracing linguistic diversity is not only a pedagogical choice but also a commitment to equity, inclusion, and opportunity. By connecting practice with research, we hope to shape a future where education truly reflects the diverse realities of its learners.
Some further reading:
Dr Timothy Scott
Tim has held various leadership roles in schools in Australia and abroad for the past 24 years, alongside teaching history and modern languages. He is currently Research Principal at the Barker Institute, the school-based educational research centre at Barker College. His research interests include intercultural and interlingual learning and teaching, refugee education, and the role of student voice in improving educational practice. Tim believes embedding research informed practice has become increasingly important and is the mark of contemporary schools, empowering their teachers as experts and enabling their learners to thrive. He is one of the lead researchers for the Barker Institute’s ongoing, decade-long longitudinal study, the Barker Journey. Concurrently with his educational research responsibilities, Tim teaches History and Global Studies at Barker. Tim’s PhD investigated socio-political influences on contemporary German conceptions of history and archaeology.
