Translanguaging in Welsh early years traditional storytelling activities

With an increased interest on how heritage languages might be supported in educational contexts globally we suggest here that translanguaging offers one potential practical solution. Originating in Wales, translanguaging is positioned as an intentional pedagogical practice endorsed by the Welsh government, and explored in situ here. Focusing on the beginning of a storytelling activity about the Welsh collection of stories – The Mabinogion – in a new entrant classroom in Mid-Wales, we reveal the translanguaging practices that are embedded in a rich multimodal environment that creates a sense of belonging and identity. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the systematics of translanguaging as fluid, multimodal practices of meaning making co-produced between children and teacher during the Welsh traditional storytelling activity.