Translanguaging as a tool to Decolonize English Language Teaching in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

The study aims to highlight Pedagogical Translanguaging as a decolonizing tool for the 2nd language English learners in Pakistani academia. Firstly, it explored the opportunities given to students and teachers to exercise translanguaging as a pedagogy in English language teaching (ELT) to promote cultural heterogeneity. Secondly, it uncovered the challenges faced by students and teachers to implement translanguaging as a decolonizing tool to counter imperialistic English language teaching practices. Thirdly, it concluded that translanguaging may prove an effective teaching methodology to make students more confident to use their linguistic repertoire in the 2nd language English learning classrooms. Following a quantitative research methodology, the data were collected through a Google Form from the students of public sector universities. Later, the obtained data were analyzed through SPSS to see the descriptive value of the variables. Consequently, this study recommends translanguaging for the promotion of multilingual identities in the global world.