Affordances, translanguaging and the international preservice teacher

Pedagogical translanguaging (TL) represents a contemporary and valuable instructional approach for bi/multilingual students. Researchers have identified the instructional practices and their affordances among bi/multilingual teachers who share a home language with their students, the dominant language used in the students' home or community, and those who do not. However, research set in the United States into bilingual, international preservice teachers (PSTs) has not been forthcoming. This article reports on findings from two PSTs enrolled in a university practicum teaching course. One PST shares a home language, Spanish, with her students while the other, who is an international multilingual PST, does not. The aim of this research was to deepen an understanding of how each describes the affordances connected to pedagogical TL in their 15-week university practicum course and the connected practicum teaching experience. Data collection included interviews and weekly written assignments from the university course. Drawing on multi-case study design, findings revealed the ways that a linguistic repertoire, which included the ability to use Spanish, was instrumental in how they described the affordances related to pedagogical TL both in their classroom and in the connected practicum teaching site. Implications for teacher educators in multilingual education are given.