This paper argues for the inclusion of translanguaging pedagogies, group work, and reflective activities for emerging plurilingual children in order to activate social and emotional factors related to language learning. Social and emotional factors are widely recognised as vital components of language learning (Arnold, 2011). Group work activities provide children with opportunities to practice their language skills and share knowledge – of languages and content. Children naturally engage in translanguaging practices during peer interactions, regardless of classroom 'rules' around language separation (García, 2017), but instead of hindering development, these interactions can enable children to engage more meaningfully in their language learning. In addition, conscious reflection on plurilingual identities involves affective factors and recognising emotions related to language learning.
The present study was located in a bilingual French/English primary school in Australia. The purpose was to implement and evaluate an innovative curriculum project to support students' language development through group work and the use of technology. Children in grade 3 and 4 created a video about their bilingual school (Mon école bilingue), by first writing a dialogue script in French followed by filming their video using iPads. Data was collected from classroom observations, informal conversations with children, and interviews with the teachers.
This project provided a rich context for children to reflect on their bilingual environment and their plurilingual identities. They employed social learning strategies, including translanguaging, during group interactions. Children's reflections on their plurilingual identities also supported affective factors of language learning. For example, in their discussions and videos, they expressed their likes and dislikes with regards to the bilingual program and the reasons they were in the program. They became aware of their own feelings towards language learning and recognised individual differences among the group.
Due to its location in an English majority country, the majority language spoken at the school is English. However, this project, and the translanguaging strategies in particular, encouraged students to develop pride in their French language, their 'French' identities and contributed to their French language development. During group work activities, the children were discussing ideas for the project using both French and English resources but were then capable of transferring these ideas into a 'French only' script. When writing the script, they helped each other with grammar, spelling, etc. using both French and English resources, thus employing social strategies as well as applying metalinguistic knowledge to the development of French language competency. Similarly, when recording the video, they assisted each other with memorising their lines and with French pronunciation. These findings highlight the benefits of translanguaging pedagogies to support children's home language maintenance and development in a bilingual school setting.
This study setting was specific as a formal bilingual setting and therefore staff and students were generally more open to the inclusion of multiple languages in the classroom. However, the findings of the study and the potential benefits of these types of pedagogies and activities that are inclusive of home languages are relevant to all classroom environments where multilingual children are present.
