Malaysia’s multilingual and multicultural environment provides both unique prospect and challenges for pre-primary education. Young learners often navigate multiple languages in their daily activities, making translanguaging an increasingly relevant pedagogical practice. This paper presents preliminary findings on the impact of translanguaging in supporting vocabulary development, cultural identify and multicultural engagement among 5- and 6-year-old children in the early childhood classroom. In particular, it focuses on how vocabulary is learned as multiple languages are used between the teacher and the children as well as amongst the children themselves. The study employs the qualitative-method approach, combining classroom observation and interviews to capture both teacher- student and peer interactions. Thematic analysis is used to analyse the transcripts while observations notes provided additional contextual detail on children’s linguistic and cultural practices. The findings reveal that translanguaging plays an important role in helping children learn new vocabulary, as they draw upon their diverse linguistic repertoires to construct meaning and learn new words from both teachers or their peers. Furthermore, translanguaging serves as a valuable resource for identity expression, allowing students to validate their cultural heritage while cultivating a sense of belonging in the classroom. It also fosters intercultural engagement by encouraging children to negotiate and exchange meanings across diverse languages and cultural norms.

Authors:
Liang Chuan Lau, HELP University, Malaysia

About the Presenter(s)
Lau Liang Chuan, lecturer at HELP University, specializes in TESL, ESP, and multilingual education. Currently pursuing a PhD, his research explores translanguaging in Malaysian kindergartens to enhance language learning and cultural identity.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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