Exploring Pedagogical Translanguaging in EFL: An Exploratory Study in Colombian Ethno‐Educational Schools

ABSTRACT This study examines the use of pedagogical translanguaging in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) lessons in two ethno‐educational schools in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM), Colombia. In this plurilingual region, where Ikʉn and Spanish coexist unequally, monolingual EFL approaches often neglect students’ repertoires. Using an exploratory qualitative design, data were collected through teacher‐researcher diaries, classroom observations, and student tasks. Findings indicate that pedagogical translanguaging fostered metalinguistic awareness, increased participation, and in some cases empowered Indigenous students by positioning them as linguistic experts. Yet these positive outcomes coexisted with some students’ reluctance to use Ikʉn, reflecting the influence of dominant language ideologies and structural constraints within the schools’ language ecologies. The study contributes to research on translanguaging by documenting both its potential and limitations in Colombian ethno‐educational EFL classrooms while underscoring the need for more equitable bilingual education policies.