Translanguaging and Motivational Development in CLIL: A Case From Kazakhstan's Trilingual Context

This study explores how translanguaging is enacted in trilingual content and language integrated learning (CLIL) classrooms in Kazakhstan, and how it shapes students’ motivation to learn English. While translanguaging has gained attention as an analytical lens for examining teachers’ and students’ language practices, little is known about its implementation and motivational impact in contexts where Kazakh, Russian, and English coexist. Drawing on classroom video data and student surveys, this study investigates (1) how teachers and students mobilize multilingual resources to support comprehension; and (2) how students perceive translanguaging versus English-only instruction in relation to their motivational self-system. Thematic analysis of classroom interactions revealed that teachers engaged in translanguaging practices, introducing disciplinary concepts, supporting meaning-making through gestures and realia, and co-constructing understanding through student-initiated exchanges. Quantitative findings showed that students strongly favored multilingual approaches over target language (TL)-only policies, particularly valuing translanguaging for comprehension and peer collaboration. Correlation analyses indicated that learners with strong ought-to second language (L2) selves preferred first language (L1) support, whereas those with strong ideal L2 selves favored TL immersion. Findings suggest that translanguaging supports both cognitive access and motivational engagement, reinforcing the need for a flexible, multilingual pedagogy tailored to students’ linguistic and affective needs in post-Soviet CLIL contexts.