Translanguaging as a Sustainable Pedagogical Tool for Bridging the Knowledge Gap among Migrant Learners: A Qualitative Approach

Abstract

Migration has transformed the sociolinguistic landscapes of Indian classrooms, wherein the migrant children often face linguistic barriers, hindering their educational progress. To address this issue, the present study uses translanguaging as an innovative pedagogical tool to leverage the complete linguistic repertoire of learners and offer it as a promising solution. Researchers observed the NSS evening classes, held in Pilani, a small town in Rajasthan, India, where translanguaging was implemented as a pedagogical tool under their guidance. For data collection, in addition to classroom observations, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 student-teacher volunteers, 10 student participants and 6 parents of the student participants to understand the issues faced by students while learning, teacher preparedness, and societal attitudes towards bilingual education, and teachers’ problems in implementing translanguaging. The findings reveal that migrant learners face significant barriers in monolingual classrooms, often understanding concepts but struggling to articulate responses in English or Hindi. Translanguaging facilitated deeper comprehension, improved retention, and critical thinking by enabling learners to draw on their home languages such as Rajasthani, Garhwali, and Kumauni. Students reported greater confidence, with some even able to explain scientific and mathematical concepts at home, earning recognition from their families. Classroom observations showed heightened engagement and peer collaboration when local analogies and bilingual scaffolding were used. This study underscores translanguaging as a transformative pedagogy aligned with SDG 4, SDG 10, and SDG 5.