MULTILINGUAL

1. Definition
 The term of multilingual education has been firstly used by UNESCO in 1999 in the General
Conference Resolution 12 to refer to the use of at least three languages, the mother tongue, a
regional or national language and an international language in education (UNESCO, 2003).

Multilingual education has also been implemented in Indonesia for years with regard to its
importance and relation to the existing social, cultural and political values for future development. In
Indonesian context, multilingual education has been implemented for many years involving the use of
a national language which is Indonesian, a mother tongue which is dependent on the society in which
students live and an international language which is English.’

 A multilingual person: A person who can communicate in more than one language, be actively
(through speaking, writing, or singing) or passively (thorough listening. Reading, or
perceiving).
 Also known as “POLYGLOT” (Poly means “many” and glot means “language”.)

A Multilingual person is someone who has proficiency in language skills at many different languages.
A Polyglot: is someone who can communicate

Multilingual education has been implemented for many years involving the use of a national
language which is Indonesian, a mother tongue which is dependent on the society in which students
live and an international language which is English.

2. Multilingual in Education

Multilingual education involves using a minimum of two languages in the educational

process, with the condition that educational institutions have the goal of achieving proficiency in
multiple languages as well as diverse literacy. (Chenoz, 2012)

UNESCO (2013) mentions that multilingual education incorporates the use of at least three
languages of instruction: the mother tongue, a regional or national language and an international
language. The language of instruction itself refers to the language used for teaching the basic
curriculum of the educational system. The choice of the language or indeed the languages of
instruction (educational policy might recommend the use of several languages of instruction) is a
recurrent challenge in the development of quality education (UNESCO, 2003). In context of
education in Indonesia, the use of those three mentioned languages may describe the phenomenon of
multilingual education

The use of mother tongue in Indonesian education

UNESCO 92003) mentions that mother tongue instruction generally refers to the use of the
learners’ mother tongue as the medium of instruction.

In many schools in Indonesia, the use of mother tongue is still employed in process of
education in early years. Though it is Indonesian language which serves as the official language of
instruction, it is undeniable that the use of mother tongue is still necessary by both teachers and
students. This often happens when teachers have to teach and deal with students with different
backgrounds and status. The type of mother tongue used in schools will be different depending on the
setting in which the schools are situated. The school inhabitants which are situated in Java Island, for
example in Central Java, will possibly use different Javanese too. They may employ different dialects
and registers when they are communicating.

In real practice, many of Indonesian students particularly those in schools use their mother
tongue when they are doing discussion inside or outside classrooms. Some argue that the
incorporation of mother tongue helps students understand the issue of discussion more and speak
more fluently to express their ideas. This seems to be influenced much by their daily communication
especially in family and friendship domains.

The use of Bahasa Indonesia in Indonesian education

As a result, in any educational levels, Bahasa Indonesia should be taught and used as the
medium of instruction. Though there have been emerging bilingual schools, the use of Bahasa
Indonesia cannot be displaced.

The use of Foreign Language in Indonesian Education

In this advanced era, English is also used for teaching some subjects especially in
international standard based schools which are now developing in Indonesia. Students in this situation
employ English as the medium for classroom activities such as discussion, presentation, and
examinations.

Advantages of Multilingual

1. Knowledge of more than two languages allows us to communicate with many people in both
personal and professional contexts.
 Thus multilingualism opens doors for quicker and easy communication. To remove the notion of
‘fixity of reference’, entrenching multilingualism in education will of course enable one to avoid
restrictions in communication thus enabling him to move to another stage of communication
2. Multilingualism practices enhance intellectual flexibility and creativity.
3. Multilingualism provides an insight into the understanding of different cultures and
experiences hence a multilingual becomes multicultural in nature
The experiences gained from learning different languages automatically tend to change the
attitudes, skills, beliefs of the people, society and create an expansion of world view. All these
attributes are formally taught in classroom and informally in the daily communication outside
classroom. For example, when we study Kiswahili language in the Kenyan context, we are
forced to study its origin, the Swahili people and also their cultural and traditional values thus
changing the readers’ perceptions.
4. Multilingualism provides a competitive edge in today’s job market.
Besides the academic and professional credentials, employers also look for fluency in the
desired languages as an added advantage. Therefore, being a multilingual is a plus to any job
seeker in this millennium. This can only be realised if multilingualism is entrenched in the
learning curriculum.

Disadvantages of Multilingualism

1. Linguistic Confusion : Studying new languages can shift the focus of a student

2. You might struggle to get along in monolingual societies.

3. There might be a lack of skilled educators in your community.

4. It requires a complete immersion in the language to be effective.

TRANSLANGUAGING

Translanguaging adalah suatu konsep dalam linguistik dan pendidikan bahasa yang mengacu pada
penggunaan dan penggabungan semua sumber daya bahasa yang dimiliki oleh seseorang untuk
berkomunikasi dan memahami arti secara efektif. Sumber daya bahasa tersebut mencakup bahasa
pertama, kedua, bahasa yang dipelajari, serta semua bentuk bahasa yang dipahami dan digunakan oleh
seseorang.

Dalam praktiknya, translanguaging melibatkan penggunaan bahasa yang tidak dibatasi pada bahasa
tunggal atau bahasa resmi, tetapi menggabungkan berbagai sumber daya bahasa dalam berbicara,
menulis, dan memahami teks. Sebagai contoh, dalam kelas translanguaging, seorang guru dapat
mengajarkan sebuah topik dalam bahasa Inggris, sementara siswa dapat menjawab pertanyaan atau
memberikan tanggapan mereka dalam bahasa mereka yang lain. Dengan demikian, translanguaging
membuka ruang bagi penggunaan bahasa secara bebas dan kreatif, yang dapat memperkaya dan
memperdalam pemahaman dan keterampilan bahasa.

Translanguaging juga memiliki implikasi penting dalam pendidikan bahasa. Dalam pendekatan
translanguaging, pengajar tidak hanya menekankan pada pengajaran satu bahasa, tetapi juga
memfasilitasi penggunaan semua sumber daya bahasa siswa untuk memfasilitasi pemahaman dan
pencapaian tujuan pembelajaran bahasa. Hal ini memungkinkan siswa untuk mengembangkan
keterampilan bahasa secara lebih holistik, dan juga memperkuat kemampuan mereka untuk
berkomunikasi dengan orang lain dari latar belakang bahasa yang berbeda.

THE EXAMPLE TRANSLANGUAGING IN ELT

Terdapat banyak contoh translanguaging yang dapat diterapkan dalam pengajaran bahasa Inggris
sebagai bahasa kedua atau English Language Teaching (ELT). Berikut adalah salah satu contohnya:

Di kelas bahasa Inggris, seorang guru mungkin memberikan instruksi dalam bahasa Inggris dan
kemudian mengonfirmasi pemahaman siswa dalam bahasa asli mereka. Ketika para siswa diberi tugas
menulis, mereka dapat menggunakan bahasa Inggris untuk mengembangkan ide-ide utama tetapi tetap
menggunakan bahasa asli mereka untuk menerapkan konsep tata bahasa dan kosakata yang baru
dipelajari. Siswa juga dapat saling berdiskusi dalam bahasa asli mereka untuk saling memahami topik
yang sedang dipelajari dan berbagi informasi sebelum mempresentasikan hasil pekerjaan mereka
dalam bahasa Inggris. Hal ini memungkinkan siswa untuk merasa nyaman dan lebih percaya diri
dalam memahami dan menggunakan bahasa Inggris, sementara juga mempertahankan kemahiran dan
budaya bahasa asli mereka.

Dalam contoh ini, translanguaging digunakan sebagai alat untuk menggabungkan sumber daya bahasa
yang dimiliki siswa dengan bahasa Inggris yang sedang dipelajari, sehingga memfasilitasi proses
pembelajaran. Dengan cara ini, siswa tidak merasa tertekan untuk membatasi diri mereka hanya dalam
satu bahasa, tetapi merasa lebih nyaman untuk mengekspresikan diri mereka dalam bahasa yang
paling mudah dipahami dan dikuasai oleh mereka.

PERSAMAAN DAN PERBEDAAN BILINGUAL, MULTILINGUAL AND

TRANSLANGUAGING
Bilingualisme dan multilingualisme mirip karena keduanya berkaitan dengan kemampuan seseorang
dalam berbicara dan memahami beberapa bahasa. Namun, perbedaan utama antara keduanya adalah
jumlah bahasa yang dikuasai dengan lancar oleh seseorang. Bilingualisme mengacu pada kemampuan
untuk berbicara dan memahami dua bahasa, sedangkan multilingualisme mengacu pada kemampuan
untuk berbicara dan memahami lebih dari dua bahasa.

Sementara itu, translanguaging memiliki perbedaan yang lebih signifikan dengan bilingualisme dan
multilingualisme karena ia mengacu pada konsep penggunaan fleksibel dan kreatif dari semua sumber
daya bahasa yang dimiliki oleh seseorang dalam berkomunikasi dan memahami arti. Dalam
praktiknya, translanguaging melibatkan penggunaan semua bahasa yang dikuasai oleh seseorang,
termasuk bahasa pertama, kedua, dan bahasa lainnya, untuk mencapai pemahaman yang lebih
dalam dan efektif.

Namun, ada juga persamaan antara ketiga konsep ini. Misalnya, semua konsep tersebut melibatkan
penggunaan bahasa yang berbeda dan kompleksitas bahasa dalam interaksi sosial dan budaya. Selain
itu, semua konsep tersebut juga dapat memberikan manfaat kognitif dan sosial, seperti meningkatkan
kemampuan berpikir kritis, berkomunikasi dengan orang yang berbicara bahasa yang berbeda, dan
memahami perspektif budaya yang beragam.

Dalam konteks pendidikan, semua konsep ini memiliki implikasi penting dalam mendukung
pembelajaran bahasa yang efektif dan inklusif, serta pengembangan kemampuan komunikasi yang
lebih baik di antara individu dari latar belakang bahasa yang berbeda.

TRANSLANGUAGING

Trans

The prefix “trans” underscores language practices that transcend not only the boundaries between
named national languages, but also the distinction between languages or other semiotic media that
carry meanings (Canagarajah, 2011)

Languaging

The term “languaging” aims to highlight a different conceptualization of language as fluid practices
instead of static entities (Canagarajah, 2011)

Me : Hai Miss, I want to tell you, today aku tuh makan a very delicious food.
Teacher : Oh really? What is it?
 Translanguaging as theory is an emergent concept indicating a radical shift from the
monolingual theorizations in the immersion/bilingual education, and it affords a ‘holistic,
dynamic view of bilingualism’ (Cenoz & Gorter, 2020; Fang & Liu, 2020; García, 2009;).
Translanguaging as pedagogy refers to the various methods in which bilingual learners and
teachers become employ to get involved in “complex and fluid discursive practices to make
meaning of teaching and learning, to communicate an appropriate subject knowledge, and to
develop academic practices” (García & Wei 2014, p. 112).

FUNCTION OF TRANSLALUAGING (Youtube video)

1. Supporting explanations
Teacher : “So, keep in mind that the subject goes before the verb and then you have object
after the verb. But the object is optional, it depends on situation and meaning. Jangan lupa,
objeknya dapat disesuaikan; bisa ada, bisa tidak, tergantung pada maknanya. Beberapa
kalimat harus menggunakan objek. Misalnya, Aisyah loves cats. But, if you want to say,
“Aisyah sleeps”, the object is unnecessary, and kalimat ini juga benar.
2. Motivating others
Advanced student : How do you spend your free time?
Beginner student : Uhm …
Advanced student : Nah yang tadi itu artinya Aku tanya “apa hobimu?” kamu jawab
aja dengan hobimu. Ayo, pasti bisa.
Beginner student : Ehm … reading, dancing
Advanced student : Excellent!
3. Practicing the transfer of meaning
Example : The students are asked to read a story in Bahasa, then they will explain the story
using English or other languages in the next meeting.

BENEFIT

● Translanguaging helped multilingual learners comprehend and communicate about subject

area content.

● Translanguaging improved their English proficiency by enabling them to make connections

between their home language(s) and English. (Hillcrest, 2021)

● Translanguaging activates all languages in students’ repertoire, stimulate positive transfer and
to contribute to TL learning by engaging students emotionally, cognitively and socially.
(Kucukali & Koçbaş, 2021)
TRANSLANGUAGING IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING (ELT)

The teacher asked students to share the name of the figures in their home language. She had them find
cognates where possible; in some cases, the written language was very different but the sounds were
similar.

The development of translanguaging in education has been influenced by various factors and
has evolved over time. Some key developments include:

1. Early recognition of multilingual practices: The roots of translanguaging can be traced back to the
early recognition of multilingual practices in classrooms. Researchers like Jim Cummins and Colin
Baker highlighted the importance of valuing students' home languages and using them as a resource
for learning [1].

2. Emergence of sociolinguistic theories: The emergence of sociolinguistic theories, such as the work
of Joshua Fishman and Dell Hymes, contributed to the understanding of language as a social practice
and the importance of considering the sociocultural context in language education [2].

3. Translanguaging as a concept: The term "translanguaging" was coined by Ofelia García in the early
2000s to describe the fluid language practices of bilingual individuals. García's work emphasized the
need to move beyond strict language boundaries and recognize the dynamic nature of language use
[3].
4. Pedagogical applications: The concept of translanguaging was further developed and applied in
educational contexts by researchers like Angela Creese and Adrian Blackledge. They explored how
translanguaging practices can be used to support language learning and promote inclusive education
[4].

5. Growing research and recognition: Translanguaging has gained increasing attention in the field of
education, with numerous studies exploring its benefits and implications. It has been recognized as a
valuable pedagogical approach in multilingual classrooms and has influenced language policies and
practices in various educational settings [5].

Citations:

[1] Cummins, J., & Baker, C. (Eds.). (2011). Language and literacy learning in multicultural
classrooms: A resource for teacher education. Multilingual Matters.

[2] Fishman, J. A., & Hymes, D. (Eds.). (1972). Directions in sociolinguistics: The ethnography of
communication. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

[3] García, O. (2009). Bilingual education in the 21st century: A global perspective. John Wiley &
Sons.

[4] Creese, A., & Blackledge, A. (2010). Translanguaging in the bilingual classroom: A pedagogy for
learning and teaching? The Modern Language Journal, 94(1), 103-115.

In Indonesian education, natural translanguaging can be observed in everyday interactions among

students and teachers who are multilingual. For example, in a classroom where students are fluent in
Indonesian, Javanese, and English, they may naturally switch between these languages during
discussions, explanations, or clarifications, depending on their language proficiency and the context of
the conversation. This natural translanguaging allows students to effectively communicate and express
their thoughts and ideas [1].

On the other hand, official translanguaging in Indonesian education can be seen in bilingual or
multilingual education programs. For instance, in some schools that implement a bilingual
curriculum, such as Indonesian and English, teachers may intentionally use both languages in
instruction and assessment. Students are encouraged to use both languages to enhance their language
proficiency and academic achievement. This official translanguaging approach recognizes the value of
multiple languages and aims to develop students' bilingual or multilingual competence [2].

Citations:

[1] Cenoz, J., & Gorter, D. (2015). Towards a holistic approach in the study of multilingual education.
In J. Cenoz & D. Gorter (Eds.), Multilingual education: Between language learning and
translanguaging (pp. 1–15). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[2] Kubota, R. (2018). Translanguaging in education: A sociocultural approach. Bristol, UK:

Multilingual Matters.