TESOL translanguaged in NYS: Alternative perspectives

Abstract

This article uses a translanguaging lens to offer counter-narratives to the conventional constructions
surrounding English language learners, English language acquisition, bilingualism, and language education. By
using a translanguaging lens, the perspective of emergent bilinguals is brought to the forefront, offering a new
approach to their education, and especially to the field of TESOL. Through this framework, five principles are
proposed: English is not a system of structures, “native” English speakers are neither the norm nor the objective,
learning English is not linear and does not result in English monolingualism, bilinguals are not simply speakers
of a first and second language, and the teaching of English cannot be enacted in total separation from other
language practices. The focus then shifts from the English language to the language practices of emergent
bilinguals, thereby giving them agency and more responsibility and transforming the role of the ESL teacher.
Keywords: bilingual education, counter-narratives, dynamic bilingualism, emergent bilinguals, ESL, language
acquisition, social justice, TESOL, translanguaging.