Translanguaging strategies in EMI: insights from foreign teachers in China

Despite ongoing efforts to promote English medium instruction (EMI) education, teachers still face significant challenges in effectively teaching subject knowledge to students in a second language. Prior research has identified translanguaging as a promising pedagogical strategy for overcoming linguistic and instructional barriers in EMI settings. However, there is little empirical evidence of how foreign teachers deploy such strategies to facilitate content learning, particularly in mainland China. To address this gap, this study adopts a qualitative multi-case study design to examine the translanguaging practices of 10 foreign teachers in Chinese international schools, as well as the factors influencing their practices from different perspectives. Through semi-structured interviews and classroom observation, the findings revealed three features of foreign teachers’ translanguaging practices, including visualising abstract knowledge, localising the content and reinforcing students’ understanding. Meanwhile, political, interpersonal and pedagogical factors play an important role in shaping translanguaging practices. This study highlights how foreign teachers employ translanguaging as a strategic approach to facilitate knowledge construction, providing insights into the potential enhancement of translanguaging pedagogy in linguistically diverse EMI classrooms.