Abstract:

With the demise of apartheid following the advent of democracy in 1994, English language domination continues unabated in South African mainstream schools and institutions of higher learning. Consequently, the English language hegemony became a deficit to most students from less affluent backgrounds, learning the English language as the first additional. This situation follows as researchers agree that students learning English as First Additional Language (EFAL) battle with conceptualisation and struggle to classify added information at universities in South Africa. To help maximise the learners’ and the teachers’ linguistic resources in problem-solving and knowledge construction, this study explores the beliefs of students about their translanguaging practices during pre-writing at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. The central question was: What are the students’ beliefs about their translanguaging practices in a South African university? This case study focused on five third-year students from the Bachelor of Education Undergraduate Class. The participants range in age 18 to 35. The researcher is an insider, presenting English Methodology to these students. The study was conducted through the students’ pre-writing process with the Gibbons Curriculum Cycle aid to collect data. Translatability theory as a theoretical framework informed the study. The study revealed that when translanguaging is adopted, it accommodates cultural and linguistic practices negotiation. It is informed by plurality to reflect a broad diversity of global settings, whilst accommodating successful communication, including in our language classrooms.

Keywords:

Diversity, English hegemony, Gibbons Curriculum Cycle, pre-writing process, scaffolding, South African Language in Education Policy, translanguaging