Translanguaging as Transformation

In this chapter, I center translanguaging as a transformative pedagogical practice in the education of students from refugee backgrounds. Far from being a deficit to overcome, students’ plurilingualism is an intellectual resource that, when nurtured, fosters critical thinking, translation skills, identity development, and academic success. Drawing on narratives of students from refugee backgrounds as well as my own experience, the chapter illustrates how translanguaging allows learners to access and activate the full breadth of their linguistic repertoires. These practices do more than support language development—they affirm students’ complex identities, honor the knowledge they bring with them, and create pathways for deep engagement and empowerment. Translanguaging emerges here not as a mere strategy, but as a form of resistance against assimilationist models, offering a humanizing and liberatory approach to teaching. In doing so, this chapter calls on educators to recognize translanguaging as essential to cultivating inclusive, asset-based learning environments where students from refugee backgrounds are not just supported but celebrated.