An investigation of English teachers’ perceptions and ideologies about translanguaging in secondary English as a Foreign Language classrooms in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Due to the new situation of multilingualism that has developed over recent decades, there are new trends in the study of bi/multilingualism. Such trends reflect a reaction against traditional approaches to teaching languages, which refer to a monolingual ideal speaker who isolates the target language. The advancements in understanding of multilingual communication have consolidated academic concern around the concept of translanguaging, recognising multilingualism in its own terms and understanding its value. This research project examines EFL teachers’ translanguaging perceptions and how their perceptions fit into language policy and ideologies in their secondary English classrooms in the Saudi context. A study was conducted with 3 semi-structured interviews and 105 teachers completed the questionnaire. The findings show that, in practice, teachers translanguage despite reporting minimal mixing of languages in classrooms due to ideological tensions. Teachers show that their students’ behaviours in the classroom motivate them to adopt translanguaging to a degree. Further, deeper knowledge cannot be reached without using all the linguistic repertoire. The study additionally reveals that English teachers lack awareness of fully using their bi/multilingual competence. From their perspective, maintaining a balance in recruitment in linguistic recourses are more crucial.