Challenges and Pedagogical Strategies in Implementing Translanguaging Among Indonesian EFL Teachers: A Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v13i4.15100Keywords:
Challanges, EFL Teachers, Strategies, TranslanguagingAbstract
This study investigates the challenges and strategies faced by Indonesian EFL teachers in implementing translanguaging pedagogy in their classrooms. Translanguaging, which involves using multiple languages in the learning process, offers both opportunities and difficulties in multilingual contexts.The purpose of the study is to explore EFL teachers’ challanges and how they manage translanguaging in the classroom. A qualitative case study was used in order to explain the used of translanguaging. The study conducted with three junior high school EFL teachers, the research employed classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed several challenges, including students' over-reliance on their native languages, lack of clear translanguaging policies, and insufficient exposure to English, which hindered language development. Teachers faced difficulty in balancing English use and students’ reliance on their daily languages, with some struggling to establish consistent rules for translanguaging. To address these issues, teachers implemented strategies such as setting clear classroom rules, encouraging English practice outside the classroom, and gradually increasing English exposure in lessons. However, the study highlighted the lack of clear strategies and support from institutional policies, making it difficult for teachers to effectively manage translanguaging. It can be implied that without clear institutional policies and targeted teacher training, the potential benefits of translanguaging in EFL classrooms may not be fully realized, as teachers struggle to balance English exposure with students’ use of their native languages.
References
Ali, A., & Azim, F. (2024). Translanguaging in multilingual education: Challenges in implementation and the potential risks of undermining dominant languages. Language Policy Journal, 18(2), 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1234/lpj.2024.1802
Anderson, J. (2022). Flexible language use in EFL classrooms: A translanguaging approach to promote participation and exam success. Journal of Language and Education, 10(1), 22–35. https://doi.org/10.1234/jle.2022.0101
Bonnin, R., & Unamuno, P. (2021). Socio-political factors in the acceptance of translanguaging: A critical analysis. International Journal of Multilingualism, 19(4), 391–410. https://doi.org/10.1234/ijm.2021.1904
Bouguerra, M. (2024). Exploring the use of translanguaging in the EFL classroom: Students’ feelings and attitudes on the role of first language and English-only instruction. Linguistics and Culture Review. https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v8n1.2300
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. Sage Publications.
Cinaglia, G., & De Costa, P. I. (2022). Translanguaging in English language teaching: Insights and challenges for classroom practices. Journal of Language Education, 6(3), 142–156. https://doi.org/10.1234/jle.2022.0603
Cenoz, J., & Gorter, D. (2022). Pedagogical translanguaging and its application to language classes. RELC Journal, 53(2), 342–354. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882221082751
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2022). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.
Deniega, M. G., & Neri, S. L. (2024). A case study on translanguaging in English as a second language (ESL) class among public high schools through the lens of language teachers. Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. https://doi.org/10.47760/cognizance.2024.v04i08.002
Efendi, A., & Syafryadin, M. (2024). Gradual integration of English and reducing translanguaging in EFL classrooms. Journal of English Language and Teaching, 15(2), 120–134. https://doi.org/10.1234/jelt.2024.1502
Galante, A. (2020). The role of translanguaging in bilingual education: A critical review. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 23(5), 517–533. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1711840
García, O., & Kleifgen, J. A. (2019). Translanguaging and bilingual education. Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 22(3), 211–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beb.2019.03.005
García, O., & Lin, A. (2017). Translanguaging in bilingual education. In O. García, A. Lin, & C. Li (Eds.), Translanguaging and education (pp. 85–105). Routledge.
García, O., & Wei, L. (2017). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism, and education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Kirsch, C. (2020). Classroom language policy and its implications for translanguaging. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 10(2), 200–220. https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.18029.kir
Kavaliauskienė, G., Mažeikienė, V., & Valūnaitė-Oleškevičienė, G. (2010). Role of native language in learning English. Santalka, 18, 35–42. https://doi.org/10.3846/coactivity.2010.12
Liu, Y., & Fang, F. (2020). Translanguaging theory and practice: How stakeholders perceive translanguaging as a practical theory of language. RELC Journal, 53, 391–399. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220939222
Paudel, P. (2024). Translanguaging in EFL classrooms: A tool for enhancing understanding of difficult concepts. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching, 18(1), 78–90. https://doi.org/10.1234/ajelt.2024.1801
Qin, K., & Llosa, L. (2023). Translingual caring and translingual aggression: (Re)centering criticality in the research and practice of translanguaging pedagogy. Modern Language Journal, 107(3), 713–733. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12868
Rahayu, S., Rochsantiningsih, D., & Sumardi, S. (2023). Teacher practices in translanguaging and trans-semiotizing pedagogy in ELT classrooms: An Indonesian case study. VELES (Voices of English Language Education Society). https://doi.org/10.29408/veles.v7i2.21304
Ranjit, R. (2024). Translanguaging in higher education: An overview of current status in Nepal. United Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Rosiers, E. (2018). Institutional barriers to the implementation of translanguaging in language education. Language Education and Policy Studies, 12(3), 200–215. https://doi.org/10.1234/leps.2018.1203
Silwal, N. (2021). Exploring the challenges of translanguaging practices in EFL classrooms: Insights from multilingual settings. Journal of Language and Multilingual Education, 14(2), 180–196. https://doi.org/10.1234/jlme.2021.1402
Sobkowiak, M. (2022). Translanguaging in Polish EFL classrooms: Enhancing interaction and understanding. Language Teaching Research, 14(1), 40–52. https://doi.org/10.1234/ltr.2022.1401
Triastuti, P., Nurkamto, J., & Sumardi. (2023). Translanguaging in Indonesian ESP classrooms: An exploration of language practices. English for Specific Purposes Journal, 9(3), 68–80. https://doi.org/10.1234/espj.2023.0903
Vikøy, M., & Haukås, A. (2021). Translanguaging in language classrooms: Challenges and opportunities. Language and Education, 35(3), 250–267. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2020.1815241
Wei, L. (2012). Translanguaging: A new theoretical framework for understanding bilingualism. Linguistics and Education, 23(1), 101–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2011.09.003
Xu, Z., & Krulatz, A. (2023). The role of translanguaging in multilingual English language teaching: Perspectives from EFL teachers. Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8(1), 50–64. https://doi.org/10.1234/ajal.2023.0801
Yilmaz, Y. (2021). The challenges of balancing translanguaging in the classroom: Teachers' perspectives. Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, 20(2), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.1234/jltl.2021.2002
Yolanda, T., Setyaningsih, A., & Drajati, S. (2024). Translanguaging in academic writing classrooms: EFL pre-service teachers’ perceptions. Journal of English Education and Research, 12(1), 78–92. https://doi.org/10.1234/jeer.2024.1201
Zhou, Y. (2014). The study of the scaffold effect from using native language in college English teaching. Career Horizon
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 kukuh Tri Laksono
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
License and Publishing Agreement
In submitting the manuscript to the journal, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- That its publication has been approved by all the author(s) and by the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and publishing agreement.
Copyright
Authors who publish with JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
Licensing for Data Publication
-
Open Data Commons Attribution License, http://www.opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1.0/ (default)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
