Fostering linguistic and epistemic inclusion among multilingual students through translanguaging and multimodal composition

Translanguaging and multimodal composition are increasingly recognised and promoted in educational settings that serve diverse student populations, particularly multilingual learners. Scholars and argue that these practices challenge longstanding monolingual norms by fostering more inclusive educational spaces and activities, thereby enhancing students’ critical language awareness and cognitive engagement. Yet little is known about how these practices enable multilingual students to reshape what counts as academic and intelligible knowledge. This qualitative multicase study examines a translanguaging and multimodal genre translation project conducted at a US university. Drawing on data collected over two academic quarters – including students’ multimodal compositions, reflective essays, interviews, course materials, and researcher memos – we analysed how participants leveraged their linguistic and semiotic repertoires to reimagine audience, function, and language standards in their work. Analysis revealed that students strategically mobilised diverse linguistic and semiotic resources linked to their complex identities, tailored messages for specific audiences, and experimented with inclusive and accessible forms of communication that extend beyond the conventions of named languages and their normative aesthetics. The study illustrates how integrating translanguaging and multimodal composition encouraged students to reconnect with their linguistic heritage while rethinking traditional notions of academic language and the role of multilingualism in their learning trajectories.