Percepciones docentes sobre el translanguaging para promover lengua y cultura local en aulas bilingües.

Abstract

This qualitative multiple-case study explores the perceptions and pedagogical practices of primary school teachers regarding translanguaging as a pedagogical perspective to promote local language and culture learning in bilingual and English-emphasis schools in Bogotá and Tunja, Colombia. Using a purposive sample of four primary teachers, the study employed semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, and a preliminary survey to triangulate data. The research aimed to: 1) Interpret teachers' perceptions and practices; 2) Describe the use of translanguaging for teaching local culture; and 3) Identify implementation factors. Key findings indicate that teachers hold an ambivalent perception: they value translanguaging as a vital support for cognitive understanding and student motivation ("translanguaging afectivo" and "instruccional y cognitivo"), but their practice is constrained by institutional monolingual ideologies that prioritize immersion, leading to fear of sanction. Furthermore, translanguaging was observed as a powerful tool for Cultural Connection, effectively mediating the curriculum by integrating local references (e.g., Muisca language, Andean food/animals) and strengthening students' sense of identity and belonging. The study concludes that the main obstacle to translanguaging is not pedagogical but administrative and ideological. The effective implementation and expansion of translanguaging requires a systemic change in institutional policy, moving from restrictive immersion to a formal, strategic bilingual design.