Communicating in multilingual learning ecologies: Students' perceptions of translanguaging in lecture rooms in Kenya

Abstract

This research delves into the nuanced perceptions of students regarding translanguaging (TL) whilst communicating within the lecture room learning ecology with a focus on four key learning processes - retaining attention, success in learning, interacting with the instructor, and transmitting knowledge. Anchored in classic theoretical approaches to communicative competence and the more recent theory of translingualism, this study endeavours to answer this broad question: What are the perceptions of university students on TL in the lecture room ecology in four key learning processes - retaining attention, success in learning, interacting with the instructor, and transmitting knowledge? To respond to this query, quantitative data was gathered through a questionnaire from 80 students at a major university in Kenya. The results show overall positive responses for TL in the lecture room ecology regarding solidarity and status relationships. For instance, participants expressed a heightened ability to retain attention when instructors employed a judicious mix of languages, resulting in increased engagement and a more favourable learning experience. These and other research findings are relevant for the ongoing language political debate on Kenya’s language-in-education policy concerning new possibilities and approaches to translingual pedagogy, which emphasises the collaboration of languages and abilities that a person draws on to make meaning and communicate effectually – their full linguistic repertoire.