Translingualand: A Comprehensive Bilingual Education Proposal for Children in Two Colombian Public Schools

This paper reports a qualitative case study in two public schools in Colombia. It aimed to establish the potential of a translingual and comprehensive non-formal education proposal called Translingualand, based on a heteroglossic and dynamic bilingual education framework that utilizes translanguaging as a pedagogy. Non-participant observations, questionnaires, and artifacts were used, and data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Findings revealed that Translingualand facilitated translanguaging as a strategy for content assimilation, instruction provision, and linguistic repertoire stimulation. Additionally, it provided opportunities for the acquisition of specialized knowledge and the development of cognitive, motor, and artistic skills. In conclusion, Translingualand represents a non-formal education pedagogical proposal for public primary schools needing students’ bilingual skills enhancement and a varied offer of comprehensive development environments.