Using translanguaging and English as a Lingua Franca to promote an inclusive multilingual approach towards comprehension in asse

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Every year, Higher Education Institutions in the UK welcome thousands of students from various countries who predominantly speak English as a second or foreign language. These learners often complain that they would have performed better in their exams and coursework if their lecturers had provided them with instructions for their tasks in their native language in addition to the target language (English). Inclusive multilingual assessment and the use of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) have attracted considerable attention lately challenging the monolingual tradition in language and English as a medium for instruction (Björkman, 2011; Kaur et al., 2017; May, 2014; Murata, 2018). Translanguaging presents a new perspective as it encourages multilingual contributions from learners aiming at fluency rather than accuracy and promotes the use of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) liberating international students in HE (Caruso, 2018; Mazak & Carroll, 2016). The multilingual approach towards comprehension in assessment focuses on the presumption that multilingual learners may face incredible challenges when they are assessed through the English language which is their second or even third language. De Backer, Slembrouck and Van Avermaet (2016) and Menken and Shohamy (2015) also stress the challenges of assessing content using exams with instructions in the target language. Shohamy (2011) reports a study in which students who received multilingual instructions achieved better scores than those who received instructions in the dominant language. The current study employed a mixed-methods approach using classroom observations, students’ anonymous learning journals, focus group discussions and pre- and post-tests to explore the impact of translanguaging and ELF on students’ writing performance when a multilingual approach towards comprehension in assessment is used with learners in Higher Education. The findings indicated that students had a very positive attitude towards the multilingual approach towards comprehension in assessment, translanguaging and ELF as they facilitated content and language learning and enhanced students’ intercultural awareness. The current study concludes by presenting implications of the study findings for management education, inclusive educational assessment, and language learning encouraging further experimentation with inclusive multilingual assessment, translanguaging and ELF in HE. Finally, the chapter argues that monolingual ideologies should be abandoned due to the increasing drive towards globalization in HE.

Output type
Conference presentation
Year
2021
Authors