Language Teacher Identity and Translanguaging

Translanguaging in recent years has rapidly emerged as a critical theory and pedagogy, reconceptualizing how we think about language(s) and how we work with multilingual students. Advocating particularly for minoritized students’ equitable access to education, translanguaging proposes a more dynamic, fluid and hybrid approach to teaching in/of language to support children’s emergent bi/multilingualism and to challenge language hierarchies prevalent at micro and macro levels. Given its theoretical and pedagogical promises, translanguaging has been increasingly integrated into language teacher education programs and professional development opportunities to equip pre- and in-service teachers to better address the challenges facing culturally, linguistically, and racially diverse students in today’s classrooms across the globe. This chapter takes a critical examination of the growing scholarly literature on translanguaging in language teacher education, with a particular focus on language teacher identity development. It aims to unpack the complex process in which language teacher identities are instantiated, constructed, and contested through engaging with translanguaging in coursework, field experiences, workshops, and other contexts. It ends with implications for ways to support positive language teacher identity development in translanguaging-infused teacher education and future directions for research.