Translingual Practices in English Language Education in South Asia

Identifies diverse language uses in sociolinguistically underexplored formal domains of education in South Asia.

This book presents empirical research from a wide range of South Asian contexts, in order to develop critical understandings of the intricate relationships between translingual practices, language education, social justice and equity. The chapters explore the feasibility, acceptance and prospects of translingual practices as meaningful communication and pedagogic practices in South Asian English language classrooms.

The authors identify diverse language uses in sociolinguistically unexplored formal domains of education and address the persistent monolingual biases and ideologies, hegemonic language policies and negative attitudes towards non-standard varieties of English and other languages within these contexts.

The book raises awareness of the marginalisation, violence, intolerance and injustice sustained through English language education in South Asia and suggests steps to ensure linguistic rights, linguistic equity and social justice.

This book is Open Access under a CC BY NC ND license.

Shaila Sultana is a Professor and the Director of the BRAC Institute of Languages, BRAC University, Bangladesh. She is also a Professor (on leave) and the former Head of the Department of English Language, Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her recent publications include a co-authored book, Popular Culture, Voice and Linguistic Diversity and co-edited handbooks, Routledge Handbook of English Language Education in Bangladesh (2021) and Language in Society in Bangladesh and Beyond (2024).

Pramod K. Sah is an Assistant Professor of English Language Education at The Education University of Hong Kong. He also holds an Honorary Norham Fellow position at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. Before joining EduHK, he worked as a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Education, Language, and Ideology. The central goal of his research is to conceptualize anti-oppressive and asset-based alternatives for pedagogies (e.g., linguistically and culturally sustaining pedagogies and critical translanguaging), research, and policies.