Examining the roles of translanguaging in ESL education: a comparative study of public and private schools

This study investigates the roles of translanguaging in ESL classrooms across public and private schools in Sarawak, Malaysia. The research explores how students engage with and benefit from translanguaging by focusing on the differences in linguistic needs and learning environments between public and private institutions. Quantitative data through student surveys were employed. The findings reveal that public school students with limited exposure to English outside the classroom overwhelmingly depend on their mother tongues for comprehension, engagement, and self-expression. Therefore, translanguaging is perceived as an essential scaffold to help these students bridge the gap between their linguistic background and English learning demands. In contrast, private school students, who often have more exposure to English, exhibit a more varied relationship with translanguaging. While they recognise its benefits, particularly for vocabulary and comprehension, their reliance on translanguaging is less pronounced. The study concludes that translanguaging is more effective in public schools due to the students’ greater linguistic diversity and lower English proficiency. Future studies should explore the long-term impact of translanguaging on language acquisition and academic performance and how formal policies can better support its implementation in ESL classrooms.