EXPLORING THE PERCEIVED ATTITUDES, INSPIRATION, AND PERSUADING ASPECTS ON THE ROLE OF TRANSLINGUAL PEDAGOGY IN MULTILINGUAL CLASSROOMS

Abstract

The increasing linguistic diversity of contemporary classrooms has challenged traditional monolingual approaches to education and created a need for more advance pedagogical practices. Translingual pedagogy has emerged as an innovative approach that recognizes students’ diverse linguistic repertoires as valuable resources for learning. This study investigates teachers’ perspectives on the implementation of translingual pedagogy in multilingual classrooms in Pakistan. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations involving six teachers working across school, college, and university settings in Punjab, Pakistan. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework. The findings reveal that teachers perceive translingual pedagogy as beneficial for improving student comprehension, engagement, confidence, and cultural inclusion. Participants reported using translanguaging practices strategically to bridge conceptual gaps and support learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds. However, teachers also highlighted significant challenges, including institutional English only policies, curriculum constraints, limited professional training, and societal preferences for English medium instruction. Despite these barriers, teachers demonstrated considerable agency in adapting their instructional practices to meet students’ needs. The study contributes to the growing literature on multilingual education by foregrounding teachers voices within the underexplored Pakistani context. The findings suggest that effective implementation of translingual pedagogy requires policy reforms, teacher training initiatives, and institutional support that recognize multilingualism as an educational resource rather than a barrier.