Linguistic resources and classroom conditions for translanguaging in a newly expanding language ecology

This qualitative study examines how a mentor teacher, student-teaching intern, and 5th grade students co-constructed a Spanish-English bilingual learning environment in a Mid-Southern U.S. state newly permitting languages other than English for instruction. Guided by translanguaging as practice, pedagogy, and theory, we analyze how teachers and students used their linguistic repertoires to support learning, foster belonging, and affirm multilingualism. Findings highlight translanguaging as a dynamic, student- and teacher-driven process shaped by classroom conditions – including visuals and gestures, humor, and shared references. This research contributes to literature by highlighting students’ agentive moves and the ecological supports that sustain translanguaging in English-medium settings.