“I want to stay”: academic and social functions of translanguaging in literacy learning

Purpose Building on studies exploring academic and sociopolitical aspects of translanguaging (Babino and Stewart, 2020; Poza, 2017), the purpose of this study is to examine how academic and social (García, 2009; García and Kleifgen, 2020) functions of translanguaging can work together to support asset-based literacy learning for bi/multilingual learners. Design/methodology/approach The first author used ethnographic methods (Heath and Street) and qualitative coding (Saldaña, 2016) to examine the role of translanguaging across six lessons in English as a second language (ESL) classroom that served two upper elementary newcomer students through a focus on oral language and literacy development. The authors selected one theoretically rich (Dyson and Genishi, 2005) lesson and used discourse analysis (Bloome et al. , 2022) to analyze how academic and social functions of translanguaging worked together to foster literacy learning. Findings The findings illustrate how ESL teachers and their students can leverage the multifunctionality of translanguaging in ways that foster students’ biliteracy and bi/multilingual language development, affirm their bi/multilingual identities and re-position them as capable learners. Originality/value The findings show how translanguaging can support literacy learning in pull-out ESL classrooms, an under-explored context in which bi/multilingual learners receive much of their literacy instruction.