Decolonizing Information Literacy Instruction for Multilingual Students

Despite efforts to teach information literacy to multilingual students, the learning outcomes have not been entirely satisfactory. To address this issue, this conceptual paper introduces translanguaging as an asset-based approach that allows students to use their full linguistic and cognitive resources in learning. It challenges the practicality concern about translanguaging by advocating for a shift in teachers’ roles from knowledge tellers to co-learners and links this shift to threshold concepts in the ACRL framework. Additionally, it explores the relationship between translanguaging, critical language awareness, and critical thinking, emphasizing that both translanguaging and information literacy share critical thinking as a core component. Ultimately, we argue that adopting a translanguaging approach not only supports a more inclusive, decolonizing pedagogy, but also benefits students, instructors, and institutions by enhancing the teaching and learning of information literacy.