Contextualizing Teachers and Learners’ Perception of Translanguaging Practices in ESP Classroom

Abstract

The use of the monolingual method in the teaching and learning process has drawn a lot of criticism from education professionals as well as language learners, in line with the growing use of translanguaging in language learning. Translanguaging allows users to use their linguistic resources as a new paradigm for utilising more than one language when learning a foreign language. The current study examined how English for Specific Purpose (ESP) teachers and students utilised and interpreted translanguaging in healthcare learning contexts. This study used a mixed research method using the instruments of observation, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires, involving 150 nursing students and 5 ESP lecturers as the study participants. The study revealed that nursing students generally have a positive attitude towards translanguaging practice in ESP classes. The five ESP teachers are aware of the efficacy of translanguaging for content instruction to improve comprehension, foster solidarity in the classroom, and produce better learning outcomes, especially for those with lower ESP language proficiency. Most teachers also call for the continuation of the translanguaging philosophy and practice by supporting language policies that relate to its use in ESP learning. This paper also confers the insinuations of the study's findings concerning the requirement for contextualised translanguaging implementation and system construction. It is advised that the use of translanguaging by multilingual learners in ESP learning should be seen by instructors and students from a wider viewpoint.