Accessed from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264800355_What_is_sociology, 2014.

Translanguaging discourse is gaining traction in language pedagogy across the southern African region. Many countries are currently wrestling with language planning and the implementation of education language policies. As a result of this complex situation, scholars have identified the emergence of translanguaging linguistic phenomenon. In an effort to promote inclusivity and diversity, this article aimed to examine the various forms, purposes, contexts, and implications of translanguaging in teaching and learning English as a second language (L2) instruction in selected schools in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Drawing from social reconstruction theory, the study employed an inductive qualitative approach, interpretivist epistemology, and constructivist ontology. Purposively sampled key informant teachers and school administrators were interviewed virtually using open-ended questions following an interview guide. Data was descriptively analysed using thematic web-like data analysis. The open and axial coding scheme and method of grounded theory were employed. Sub-themes, themes and global themes are built and woven into a reportable story about the study phenomenon. The findings revealed that translanguaging is a legitimate pedagogical strategy for bridging linguistic and cultural gaps in South African schools. However, it is still negatively perceived in Zimbabwe, where some scholars regard it as linguistic contamination. This article recommends reconsideration of the ‘translanguaging’ phenomenon in light of learners’ linguistic rights. This study contributes to the ongoing debates on the language in and of education from a decolonial perspective. It gives insights to stakeholders on the nature of the problems experiences by teachers and learners in English as L2 learning spaces in Zimbabwe and South African schools. Keywords: Code-Switching, Languaging Education, Translanguaging