Obviously language plays a huge factor in bringing out a person’s individuality, as the way they use language allows them to socialize and build relationships in their community. For someone who is either a bilingual or multilingual, they are able do these functions using a phenomena called code switching or translanguaging. Code-switching takes place when a bilingual person begins an utterance in one language and then switches to the other language (De Jong, 2011;60). On a broader scale, this type of practice falls under the term translanguage because of its unique meaning-making dimension.
It needs to be mentioned that code-switching isn’t a characteristic of bilingualism that’s done for convenience. It is also really beneficial in the classroom. It aids in both learning the English language and speaking it proficiently. Research shows that teachers who use code-switching as a way of establishing relations and affirming students identities (De Jong, 2011:61). Often when bilingual students get stuck trying to articulate an idea, they would switch to the native language and clear up any problems. Along with problem solving, code-switching functions aids in a way that helps students complete tasks efficiently.
At the beginning of this chapter, Francois Grosjean states that “Bilinguals are not two monolinguals in one person. (De Jong, 2011;48)” I took this to mean that a bilingual person combines two languages in a very unique way. They are able to articulate the two languages, depending on context, without being inept in either one. In my opinion this should be seen as an asset and not a drawback. Even though they might not be inept, it doesn’t mean they can’t get better. Teachers should try to advance their bilingual students by encouraging the notion of translanguage.
Translanguaging strategies enable bilinguals to incorporate the language practices of school