Understanding the perceptions of high school teachers about the application of translanguaging.

Abstract

The present research focuses on Colombian English secondary school teachers’ perceptions of translanguaging by analyzing how teachers perceive it as a linguistic practice within the context of their public school, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán School, located in Puerto Gaitán, Meta. The study addresses the challenges teachers face while working under monolingual teaching expectations and the actual language learning realities of their students. The research followed a qualitative instrumental case study approach using semi-structured interviews and document review as the main sources of data. The information collected was analyzed through an inductive coding process using ATLAS.ti software. According to the findings, teachers perceive translanguaging as a form of pedagogical support that helps students understand content, clarify complex grammatical structures, and develop confidence and participation in the English classroom. At the same time, teachers expressed concerns about the overuse of Spanish, since they believe students’ exposure to English should be maximized. Furthermore, the findings revealed that translanguaging is not explicitly addressed in institutional or governmental policies, which gives teachers methodological autonomy but little formal guidance regarding its implementation. Additionally, teachers’ pedagogical decisions are strongly influenced by their professional experiences and the classroom contexts in which they work. The findings suggest that translanguaging functions as a flexible and contextualized pedagogical practice that responds to the learning needs of students in public school settings.