Multilingual Perspectives on Translanguaging

This book brings together a broad, interdisciplinary group of leading scholars to critically assess a recent proposal within translanguaging theory called deconstructivism: the view that discrete or ‘named’ languages do not exist. Contributors explore important topics in relation to the deconstructivist turn in translanguaging, including epistemology, language ideology, bilingual linguistic competence, codeswitching, bilingual first language acquisition, the neurolinguistics of bilingualism, the significance of language naming to Indigenous language reclamation efforts, implications for bilingual education and language rights, and the effects of translanguaging on immersion programs for endangered languages. Contributing authors converge on support for a multilingual perspective on translanguaging which affirms the pedagogical and conceptual aims of translanguaging but rejects deconstructivism. The book makes a valuable contribution to the development of translanguaging theory and will be required reading for scholars and students interested in one of the most vibrant and vital debates in contemporary applied linguistics.

Jeff MacSwan is Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education and Professor of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science at the University of Maryland, USA. His research focuses on the linguistic study of bilingualism and codeswitching (or language alternation) and the implications for multilingual students in education. His recent books include Multilingual Perspectives on Translanguaging (Multilingual Matters, 2022) and Codeswitching in the Classroom (with Christian J. Faltis, Routledge, 2020).