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TranslaPed: Translanguaging Pedagogy in mehrsprachigen Kitas und Schulen in NRW | Translanguaging Pedagogy in Multilingual Day-care Centers and Schools in NRW

 

 

  • Project title: Translanguaging Pedagogy in mehrsprachigen Kitas und Schulen in NRW | Translanguaging Pedagogy in Multilingual Day-care Centers and Schools in NRW (TranslaPed)
  • Project team: Dr. Julie A. Panagiotopoulou (project leader), Dr. Eleni Louloudi (co-leader), Maria J. Hammel (research fellow and doctoral student) & student researchers in the context of their final thesis
  • Survey methods: Ethnographic observations in everyday pedagogical life and expert interviews with educators and teachers

 

Project description:

For children attending educational institutions in the German migration society, growing up multilingual is increasingly a reality and normality, as the Education Report repeatedly confirms (see Autorengruppe Bildungsberichterstattung, 2020; Autor:innengruppe Bildungsberichterstattung, 2022; 2024). Nevertheless, in connection with the professionalization of educational professionals, there is a lack of inclusive, multilingual (early) educational concepts that refer to the language repertoire of all children (for criticism, see Jahreiß, 2018) and professionalization research that is geared towards a “reflection of the migration society structure of the present” (Ohm, Karakaşoğlu & Mecheril 2022, 292). As part of the research and training project TranslaPed (“Translanguaging Pedagogy in multilingual daycare centres and schools in NRW”), selected daycare centres and elementary school in North Rhine-Westphalia have been ethnographically accompanied since 2018 in the implementation and inclusion of family languages, some of which are socially marginalized as 'migration languages', in everyday pedagogical practice. It has been shown that translanguaging is understood on the one hand as a method for promoting multilingualism and on the other hand as a holistic pedagogical concept in the sense of a “translanguaging pedagogy” (García, Ibarra Johnson & Seltzer, 2017) to enable all children to participate in (language) education (Panagiotopoulou & Hammel, 2020; 2023).

The educators involved in the TranslaPed project receive support in the form of further training based on ethnographic observations carried out by student researchers from the University of Cologne in everyday educational settings as part of their final theses (see Kamphuis 2019, Farace 2020, Borne 2023, Schnitzler i. p.). In order to shed light on the language policy conditions in the respective (including bilingual) institutions as well as on the perspectives (including language ideologies) of the (including multilingual) educators involved, Maria J. Hammel's dissertation deals with the reconstruction of educational professionals' perspectives on translanguaging as early education. To this end, theory-generating expert interviews, based on Bogner, Littig and Menz (2014), were conducted with the participating professionals before and after the workshops and analyzed with the help of constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz 2014) along the following key questions:

  • Which language ideologies and previous '(language) educational' practices do the professionals involved in the project reproduce and/or question?
  • What connections can be reconstructed between central aspects of translanguaging pedagogy (stance, design, shifts) and the (self-)understanding of pedagogical professionalism?
  • What significance do the professionals attach to the translanguaging concept in their day-to-day work in daycare centres, which are characterized by (potentially) marginalized migration languages, as part of their (language) educational professionalization?

In addition, a particular focus is shed on understanding multilingual practices, which are (should be) considered an integral part of foreign language teaching, especially English language teaching (Tian et al. 2020). For English language teaching, this also means paying particular attention to the colonial realities of the English language (e.g. which English, whose English, why English, or English by whom? Louloudi 2024: 19). In this context, Dr. Eleni Louloudi's habilitation project examines the specifics of translanguaging for teaching English in elementary schools in order to understand it as a form of inclusive, critical foreign language didactics (Gerlach 2020; Louloudi 2024). The following questions are relevant here:

  • What forms do multilingualism and translanguaging take in primary English lessons?
  • Which of these forms are specific to English lessons (as a global and colonial language?)
  • And how do they relate to inclusive practices in the educational institution?

 

Literature

Authorgroup Educational Reporting (ed.) (2024). Education in Germany 2024: An indicator-based report with an analysis of vocational education and training. wbv Publikation.

Authorgroup Educational Reporting (ed.) (2022). Education in Germany 2022. An Indicator-Based Report with an Analysis on the Education Workforce. Bielefeld: wbv publication.

Authorgroup Educational Reporting (ed.) (2020). Education in Germany 2020. An Indicator-Based Report with an Analysis on Education in a Digitalized World. Bielefeld: wbv publication.

Bogner, A., Littig, B. & Menz, W. (2014). Interviews with Experts. A Practice-Oriented Introduction. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory. Introducing qualitative methods. (2. ed) London: SAGE.

García, O., Ibarra Johnson, S. & Seltzer, K. (2017). The Translanguaging Classroom - Leveraging Student Bilingualism for Learning. Philadelphia: Caslon.

Gerlach, D. (2020). Introduction to critical foreign language didactics. In D. Gerlach (Ed.) Critical foreign language didactics (pp. 7-32). Narr Francke Attempto.

Jahreiß, S. (2018). Migration-related Multilingualism in Daycare Centers: An Empirical Study on the Practice Transfer of a Continuing Education Program for Daycare Teachers. Münster; New York: Waxmann.

Louloudi, E. (2024). “And then the English will come”: Envisioning a Critical Multilingual Education for the ELT classroom. Revista Nebrija de Lingüística Aplicada a la Enseñanza de Lenguas (RNAEL), 18 (36). 10.26378/rnlael1836571

Ohm, V., Karakaşoğlu, Y. & Mecheril, P. (2022). Reflexivity and (non-)knowledge. Outline of pedagogical professionalism in the migration society. In O. Ivanova-Chessex, S. Shure & A. Steinbach (Eds.): Teacher education, (re)visions and the migration society - introductory reflections (pp. 278-294). Weinheim Basel: Beltz Juventa.

Panagiotopoulou, J. A. & Hammel, M. J. (2020). ‘What Shall We Sing Now, Amir?’ Developing a Voice through Translanguaging Pedagogy — An Ethnographic Research and Professional Training Project in Day-Care Centers and Schools. In J. A. Panagiotopoulou, L. Rosen & J. Strzykala (Hrsg.), Inclusion, Education, and Translanguaging: How to Promote Social Justice in (Teacher) Education? (S. 203-218). Wiesbaden: Springer.

Panagiotopoulou, J. A. & Hammel, M. J. (2023). "Children are encouraged [...] to express their wishes, no matter if that is [in] Turkish or Arabic": Pedagogical Professionals reflect on the Meaning of their 'Translanguaging Attitude' in the Context of Professionalization in the Migration Society. Journal of Pedagogy 6/2023: (Multi-)linguality in Childhood Institutions. (accepted).

Panagiotopoulou, J. A., Louloudi, E. & Hammel, M. J. (2023). Critical Literacy, Translanguaging and Social Justice Education: Making Connections and Comparisons. In S. Tsiplakou (Hrsg.), Crossroads of Languages and Cultures’ (CLC6): Plurilingualism, Variation, Spaces of Literacy. Cyprus (i.E.).

Tian, Z., Aghai, L., Sayer, P. & Schissel J.L. (2020). Envisioning TESOL through a translanguaging lens in the era of Post-multilingualism. In Z. Tian, L. Aghai, P. Sayer & J.L. Schissel (eds), Envisioning TESOL through a translanguaging lens: Global perspectives (S. 1-22). Springer.

 

Final theses within the project:

  • Schnitzler, A. (in preparation). “Yeah cool, lots of languages here, a nice mix” - multilingualism as a social practice in everyday life at an inclusive elementary school. Master Thesis. University of Cologne.
  • Borne, E. (2023): Multilingualism at day care centers: An analysis of translanguaging practices between professionals, children and parents at day care centers in Cologne. Unpublished Master Thesis. University of Cologne.
  • Farace, L. (2020): Translanguaging in Early Childhood Pedagogical Practice - An Ethnographic Study. Unpublished Master Thesis. University of Cologne.
  • Kamphuis, A. F. (2019): A Comparative Ethnography on Early Childhood Multilingualism (using the example of two multilingual daycare centers). Unpublished Bachelor Thesis. University of Cologne.

 

 

Project related presentations:

  • Panagiotopoulou, J. A. & Hammel, M. J.: “Migrationsgesellschaftliche Mehrsprachigkeit als Chance?! Translanguaging in the pedagogical practice of day-care centers and elementary schools in NRW/Germany”. Workshop as part of the conference “Multilingualism and linguistic minorities in a global context” of the international consortium “Multilingualism as an opportunity” in Davos, Graubünden (Switzerland), May 2025.

  • Hammel, M. J.: “‘That linguistic diversity is seen as normality’ - Reconstructing the (translanguaging) stance and language policy related practices of educators in the context of their professionalization for the German migration society”. Research workshop as part of the KEBiM conference for scientists in qualification phases “THEORY, METHODOLOGY and EMPIRICS in EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC MIGRATION RESEARCH” at the Technical University of Berlin, 19.03.2025.

  • Louloudi, E, Panagiotopoulou, J. A. & Seltzer K.: Critical Literacy and Translanguaging for All: A Comparative Perspective on Inclusive Settings in Germany and the USA. 23rd European Conference on Literacy, Crete, Chania, 25. 06.2024.

  • Hammel, M. J. & Panagiotopoulou, J. A.: "Challenging Language Policies and Practices in NRW Day-care Centers - Professionals' Perspectives on Translanguaging Pedagogy". Presentation on 22.06.2022 at the symposium "Implementing Multilingual Practices in ECE in Germany, Italy and Luxembourg" with C. Kirsch & V. Platzgummer at the international conference "Future Challenges in Early Language Learning and Multilingual Education" (ELLME2022) at the Universidad de Granada.
  • Hammel, M. J.: "All languages as a resource": Awakening and Change towards Inclusive and Power-critical Multilingual Education from the Perspective of Pedagogical Professionals". Presentation on 13.06.2022 at the conference for scientists in qualification phases in the context of the annual conference of the Mercator Institute "Gemeinsam für sprachliche Bildung - systematisch und vernetzt", Cologne.
  • Panagiotopoulou, J. A.; Louloudi, E. & Hammel, M. J.: "Critical Literacy, Translanguaging and Social Justice Education: Making Connections and Comparisons." Presentation on 04.09.2021 at the international conference ‘Crossroads of Languages and Cultures’ (CLC6) - Plurilingualism, Variation, Spaces of Literacy an der University of Cyprus.

 

Project related publications

  • Louloudi, E., & Panagiotopoulou, J.A. (i.p.). When Schools Really Welcome Newcomers: Critical Multilingual Education in Action! In W. Baros, S. Jobst, & A. Kell-Delić (eds.), European education in dialog. Science - Politics - Practice. Peter Lang.
  • Panagiotopoulou, J. A. & Hammel, M. J. (2023). "Children are encouraged [...] to express their wishes, no matter if that is [in] Turkish or Arabic": Pedagogical Professionals reflect on the Meaning of their 'Translanguaging Attitude' in the Context of Professionalization in the Migration Society. Journal of Pedagogy 6/2023: (Multi-)linguality in Childhood Institutions. (to be published December 2023).
  • Panagiotopoulou, J. A. & Hammel, M. J. (2020). ‘What Shall We Sing Now, Amir?’ Developing a Voice through Translanguaging Pedagogy — An Ethnographic Research and Professional Training Project in Day-Care Centers and Schools. In J. A. Panagiotopoulou, L. Rosen & J. Strzykala (Hrsg.), Inclusion, Education, and Translanguaging: How to Promote Social Justice in (Teacher) Education? (S. 203-218). Wiesbaden: Springer.
  • Panagiotopoulou, J. A., Louloudi, E. & Hammel, M. J. (2024). Critical Literacy, Translanguaging and Social Justice Education: Making Connections and Comparisons. In S. Tsiplakou (Hrsg.), Crossroads of Languages and Cultures’ (CLC6): Plurilingualism, Variation, Spaces of Literacy. Cyprus (forthcoming).