Author’s note: As I read about President Trump’s recent executive order declaring English as the official language of the United States and reflected on its potential implications, I was reminded of a podcast episode in which I interviewed Dr. Grace Inae Blum. Dr. Blum teaches and writes about humanizing teacher education, teacher preparation for culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms, and the recruitment/retention of BIPOC educators. In our conversation, Dr. Blum dove deep into the topic of translanguaging and its usefulness in the classroom as a humanizing pedagogical tool that allows us to recognize God’s creativity reflected in our bilingual and multilingual students. Below is a small portion of that podcast episode, revised for written publication (with one question and response about the recent executive order added). It highlights the what, how, and why of translanguaging. If you are intrigued by this blog post, I encourage you to check out the full podcast episode.
Interview Excerpt
PK: What is translanguaging? Do you have an example that you can share?
Grace Blum (GB): Translanguaging is a dynamic process in which bilingual and multilingual individuals use their full linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning. It recognizes that multilingual speakers operate from a unified set or system of language features that draw upon their knowledge of multiple named languages.
Scholars note that translanguaging is not just a theory; it is also a pedagogy and a stance.1 As a pedagogy, translanguaging encourages educators to create learning spaces where multilingual students can access their entire linguistic repertoire to be able to engage deeply with content, express themselves, and make sense of their world. As a stance, it reflects an ideological commitment to valuing students’ linguistic resources rather than viewing them as barriers to learning. This is essential for fostering affirming classroom spaces where students feel seen, respected, and empowered to leverage their funds of linguistic knowledge that they bring into the classroom. By embracing translanguaging, educators can create more inclusive and equitable learning experiences that honor the diverse linguistic identities of their students.
I often share this example with my students because it’s something that is close to my heart. One of my favorite fruits is persimmon, but if you eat it before it is ripe, there’s a particular sensation, that is perfectly captured by the Korean word ttul-buh (떫어). If you’ve ever experienced it, you know it’s horrible. I’ve searched for an English word to capture that same sensation, but the closest terms- like cottonmouth or astringent – don’t fully capture the experience.
My mother once told me that to remove that ttul-buh feeling in the gahm (감; persimmon) is to ul-rhyeoh (얼려; freeze) it overnight night then let it defrost. In sharing with you now, Paul, I am translanguaging, drawing from my full linguistic repertoire, because I know that your own linguistic background allows you to understand and engage with these words and concepts. This is a personal example of how I translanguage to make sense of an experience and communicate it to others. For bilingual and multilingual individuals, this process is completely natural. We don’t just think in one language. We draw from our full linguistic repertoire to navigate and understand the world around us.
PK: I have to ask. How do you make sense of the recent declaration of English as the official language of the United States? How does translanguaging fit into this picture?
The executive order declaring English the official language of the U.S. is deeply distressing because it completely disregards the rich linguistic diversity that has always been integral to this nation. This policy doesn’t merely establish a preference for English; it devalues the lived experiences of multilingual individuals who navigate daily life with a deep connection to multiple languages. Language is deeply tied to culture, identity, and how people make sense of the world. Multilingual individuals naturally translanguage in ways that help them communicate, learn, and connect. By insisting on English-only, this policy devalues those lived experiences and ignores the reality that millions of people use multiple languages as a part of their daily lives. It erases the contribution of immigrant and indigenous communities whose languages are deeply tied to their histories and survival.
Beyond the obvious barriers this will create, it is also completely dehumanizing. Forcing people into a strict English-only framework does not foster unity. It does the opposite. It marginalizes those who communicate in other languages, sending the message that their voices, identities, and lived experiences are less valuable or even unwelcome. When individuals are forced to suppress their linguistic heritage in favor of a single, dominant language, they are, in part, being asked to erase parts of themselves to fit into some narrow definition of “American.” Instead of bringing people together, such policies reinforce exclusion and division. Multilingualism is an asset, not a problem. Translanguaging allows people to draw on their linguistic expertise to think, express themselves, and connect with others. Instead of trying to erase linguistic diversity, we should be embracing it. True unity is not about forcing conformity but about creating an inclusive society where diverse languages and cultures are recognized, respected, and celebrated.
PK: You are a teacher of teachers. Can you give an example of how you would teach future teachers about translanguaging in the classroom?
GB: Well, I begin by sharing my definition of translanguaging as I did earlier and present various examples, such as my persimmon story, to illustrate how translanguaging naturally occurs in the daily lives of multilingual learners. Then I invite students in the class to share their own experiences about how they translanguage in the social contexts that they navigate. This helps create a scaffolded, safe space where they can actively engage in translanguaging within the classroom. By allowing students the freedom to translanguage in classroom activities, they not only experience what it feels like as learners but also begin to think about how to cultivate similar spaces in their own future classrooms for students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
In many P-12 classrooms, visible anchor charts are often displayed to support student learning such as vocabulary charts or word walls. Imagine if key vocabulary words were also written in students’ home languages, for everyone to see? The simple practice makes multilingualism visible, valued, and an integral part of the classroom environment. However, translanguaging is not just about specific activities or strategies; it’s also about an educator’s stance. Beyond the instructional details, what truly matters is the belief that multilingualism is an asset. By taking a stance that affirms students’ linguistic expertise, educators create a classroom where all languages are not only welcomed but celebrated.
PK: What motivates you to incorporate translanguaging practices in the classroom?
GB: Translanguaging as a practice allows us to fully embrace our students as the people God has created them to be – beings that are fearfully and wonderfully made.
The theory and practice of translanguaging affirm that multilingual students’ language acquisition at any given stage in their formal schooling is not a deficit. Rather, their full linguistic repertoire is gift from God, and as educators, we are called to create spaces where students can freely draw from that gift.
This requires us to move away from a deficit framing of our students and instead adopt an asset-based perspective. Every language a student speaks, whether at home, in school, or in other spaces, is an integral part of who God has created them to be. We need to engage with one another under the assumption that no language is superior to another and that all languages hold deep meaning and value. We must recognize multilingual learners as experts who have God-given “funds of knowledge” that can enrich the classroom. Conversely, when we convey that some languages are unwelcome or less valuable, we dehumanize students by rejecting a core part of their identity. This exclusion damages the very sense of classroom community we strive to cultivate.
Translanguaging is a humanizing pedagogy because it allows students to bring their full, authentic selves into the classroom. I know from personal experience what it feels like to hide parts of my own identity because they were seen as different, outside the norm, or unworthy of recognition. As educators, we have the opportunity and responsibility to ensure that no student feels that way. I firmly believe that we are all created in the image of God and language is a central to that identity. My hope is that my students, as future educators, will commit to cultivating classroom spaces where every child is embraced, valued, and encouraged to bring them their whole selves into their learning experience.
Thank you for this encouraging article, one in which I agree. You’ve helped me, as a lay person in the church who boasts a sugary English southern draw to express more robustly that I find it exciting, energizing, and highly beneficial, even though I speak neither Hebrew, Aramaic nor Greek, to study passages of Scripture in the text in which it was written. I am a grateful follower of Jesus Christ, Who knows all languages clearly and the heart from which the words proceed. I am grateful for Bible study aids. One day I perceive all Believers will speak one language, a pure one initiated by the Master Teacher Himself.