Bilingual teachers usually use one language during each block of instruction. But, is separating each language the most effective way for teaching both languages? The current bilingual trend is moving away from separating the two languages to using both languages in the same lesson. Using both languages in order to solve a problem or to understand content in the classroom is called translanguaging.
Translanguaging is used to maximize students' learning. The reasoning behind using translanguaging in the classroom is the belief that students naturally use both languages in order to fully understand and learn academic content. The goal of bilingualism and translanguaging is to develop academic learning and skills in both languages. If translanguaging is occurring in the classroom, then progress and learning need to be achieved in both languages through effective language planning. Ensuring that students are effectively using both languages during a lesson needs to be managed, so students do not overrely on one language over the other. This may be difficult to regulate since students may naturally prefer using one language over the other.
What is the difference between translanguaging and codeswitching: Translanguaging in the classroom is a much deeper process than codeswitching. Translanguaging is when both languages are used in order to solve an academic problem or to understand academic concepts in a deeper way. The goal of translanguaging is to fully understand and learn academic content by using two languages. Codeswitching or codemixing is when a bilingual person switches between two languages while speaking. Codeswitching may occur to solve an academic problem or to understand academic content, but there are many other reasons why codeswitching occurs that do not involve academic content. There are a variety of social reasons for codeswitching, whereas the only goal for translanguaing is to obtain a deeper meaning and understanding of academic concepts.