Translanguaging for language learning and knowledge co-construction in an EFL class of a college in Xizang, China

Abstract

This thesis documents an ethnographic study on the translanguaging practice in the EFL class at a college in Xizang Autonomous Region, China. In addition to Tibetan and Chinese, English is provided as a foreign language in the curriculum of Xizang’s education from primary to tertiary level, conforming to the national standard curriculum. The EFL class in Xizang is normally characterized with multilingualism, involving English, Chinese, Tibetan, and their variants. From the perspective of translanguaging, this study investigates the multilingual practice in the EFL class of the case college in Xizang, an under-explored context which presents unique challenges and opportunities for translanguaging pedagogy. To reveal the dynamics of the language learning and knowledge co-construction in the translanguaging practice of the EFL class, three research questions are explored via an approach of linguistic ethnography: 1. What kinds of linguistic and semiotic resources are involved in the translanguaging practice in the EFL class of the case college in Xizang? 2. How do students and teachers perceive these multiple resources in their translanguaging practice? 3. How does the use of these resources impact the classroom participants’ language learning and knowledge co-construction?
The collected data include field documents, field notes, interviews, classroom interactions, artifacts, photos, and videos, and the data are analyzed from an ecological perspective. Deep description of the translanguaging classroom events is provided to demonstrate the meaning-making resources which are categorized into three types—multilingual repertoire, cultural repertoire, and multimodal repertoire. The process of translanguaging interaction is analyzed to show the mechanism in language learning and knowledge co-construction. The most obvious themes emerging from the analysis are: low expectation, confidence boosting, teacher power, mutual learning, test orientation, and agency. These themes are not separate, but interrelated on the continua, demonstrating the opportunities as well as the tensions which work jointly and concurrently to shape the process of language learning and knowledge construction in the translanguaging space of the EFL class.
The findings reported in this thesis contribute to the existing knowledge of translanguaging pedagogy by providing empirical evidences on how translanguaging practice could empower minority students in classroom learning as well disempower them occasionally. The insights gained from this study are believed to be of assistance to expand our understanding of translanguaging theory and to improve the language teaching in China’s minority regions and multilingual education in general. Based on the findings, implications for practice at macro, meso, and micro levels are proposed. Finally, the limitations and suggestions for future research are pointed out.

Date of Award	15 Jul 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Nottingham
Supervisor	Anwei Feng (Supervisor), Dan Shi (Supervisor) & Robert Weekly (Supervisor)