A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF TRANSLANGUAGING STRATEGY AND LANGUAGE IMMERSION STRATEGY IN BILINGUAL LEARNERS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN SUB-COUNTY SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA

Autores

  • Wamalwa Erastus Juma Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Education Media, Moi University, Kenya
  • Khaemba Ongeti Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Education Media, Moi University, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v10i3.6347

Palavras-chave:

translanguaging (TL), immersion, sub-county secondary schools

Resumo

This paper is a report of a study that was undertaken in 2025 with the key objective to compare the effects of the Translanguaging (TL) strategy on learner achievement in the English language against those of the Language Immersion strategy in subcounty secondary schools. The study was undertaken in Sub-County Secondary Schools in Bungoma County in Kenya and was guided by Ofelia Garcia’s theory of translanguaging. The study employed the mixed methods research approach, which combined qualitative and quantitative techniques by use of a quasi-experimental test. The study population comprised 80 students from 8 schools taking the English subject in purposively selected sub-county secondary schools. A test administered to students was used in data collection. The key findings are that TL enhances second language achievement by 15.3125% more than Language Immersion does. Practical suggestions and recommendations are therefore that the Ministry of Education should revise the policy on recommended strategies for instruction in the English language to include TL as a paradigm shift in language teaching and conduct further research on the need to revise this policy.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

Biografias do Autor

  • Wamalwa Erastus Juma, Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Education Media, Moi University, Kenya

    Wamalwa Erastus Juma is a PhD finalist student at Moi University, Kenya. He is a teacher of English, researcher and part-time lecturer of Language Education, Communication and Media Studies. He has conducted research on Utilization of Instructional Media and Translanguaging in multilingual subcounty secondary schools. Some of his published research works are on Orcid, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu.

  • Khaemba Ongeti, Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Education Media, Moi University, Kenya

    Khaemba Ongeti is a Professor in Curriculum and Instruction, Moi University, Kenya. He is a researcher in curriculum, Instructional approaches in education, and integration of indigenous knowledge into curricula; pedagogical innovation of learning, and reviewer for the Commission for University Education in Kenya; and a published mentor of other researchers in teaching writing skills and instruction issues.

Referências

Baker C. (2001). Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (3rd ed). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Retrieved from https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Foundations%20of%20Bilingual%20Education%20and%20Bilingualism&author=C%20Baker&publication_year=2001&book=Foundations%20of%20Bilingual%20Education%20and%20Bilingualism

Baker, C. (2006). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (4th ed.). Clevedon [England]; Buffalo: Multilingual Matters. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Foundations_of_Bilingual_Education_and_B.html?id=HgbPBQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

Cenoz, J., and D. Gorter. (2017). Minority languages and sustainable translanguaging: Threat or opportunity? Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 38(10). https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2017.1284855

Cohen, L., L. Manion., and K. Morrison (2007). Research Methods in Education (6thed). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203029053

Cook, V. (2001). Using the First language in the classroom. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 57, 402–423. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.57.3.402

Creswell W. & Creswell J. (2018). Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 5th ed. Sage. Retrieved from https://www.ucg.ac.me/skladiste/blog_609332/objava_105202/fajlovi/Creswell.pdf

Cummins, J. (2016). Teaching for transfer in multilingual school contexts. In O. Garcia, A. M. Y. Lin, & S. May (Eds.), Bilingual and multilingual education (pp. 103–115). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02324-3_4-1

Fang, F., Limin Y., Hongchen X. and Xueyi W. (2022). Global Englishes and Translanguaging in Textbook Design and Curriculum Development for Universities in the Greater Bay Area of China, Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-022-00162-5

Galante, A. (2020). Translanguaging for Vocabulary Development: A Mixed Methods Study with International Students in a Canadian English for Academic Purposes Program. In: Z. Tian, L. Aghai, P. Sayer and J.L. Schissel, eds., Envisioning TESOL through a Translanguaging Lens. New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47031-9_14

García O. and W. Li (2014). Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137385765

García-Mateus S, & Palmer, D. (2017) Translanguaging pedagogies for positive identities in two-way dual language bilingual education. Journal of Language, Identity and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2017.1329016

Kang S. (2013). The Effect of Language Immersion on Second Language Intonation. Journal of Pan-Pacific Association of Applied Linguistics (1) p. 1-27. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?idEJ1026108

NCL (2008). The Constitution of Kenya. National Council for Law Reporting with the Authority of the Attorney General. Nairobi

Kuchah, K., & Smith, R. (2011). Pedagogy of autonomy for difficult circumstances: From practice to principles. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 5(2), 119–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2011.577529?urlappend=%3Futm_source%3Dresearchgate

Lewis, G., Jones, B., & Baker, C. (2012). Translanguaging: Developing its conceptualization and contextualisation. Educational Research and Evaluation, 18(7), 655–670. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2012.718490.

Li, W. (2018). Translanguaging as a practical theory of language. Applied Linguistics in Benefits of Translanguaging Pedagogy and Practice. Applied Linguistics 39(1):9-30. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354616492

Lin A. (2019). Theories of translanguaging and trans-semiotizing: implications for content-based education classrooms. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 22(1): 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050/2018.1515175

Loewen, S., & Plonsky, L. (2016). An A-Z of Applied Linguistics Research Methods. London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-40322-3_1

Morales, J., Schissel, J.L. and López-Gopar, M. (2020). Pedagogical Sismo: Translanguaging Approaches for English Language Instruction and Assessment in Oaxaca, Mexico. In: Z. Tian, L. Aghai, P. Sayer and J.L. Schissel, eds., Envisioning TESOL through a Translanguaging Lens. New York: Springer, pp. 161-183. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47031-9_8

Nascimento, F.C. (2017). Benefits of Dual Language Immersion on the Academic Achievement of English Language Learners. International Journal of Literacies, 24(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-6398291914813.

Otieno M.A. & Ochieng J.A. (2020). Impact of 100 Per Cent Transition Policy on Public Secondary Schools in Machakos Sub-County, Kenya: Focusing on Coping Strategies. Journal of Education and Practice Vol. 11, No. 24. Retrieved from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Impact-of-100-Per-Cent-Transition-Policy-on-Public-Otieno-Ochieng/e70e3dc5e216c7771b74703ca39c05c71638ac34

Otundo, B. (2021). Multilingual African Learning Spaces: Translanguaging Practices in Kenyan Schools. Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies. Retrieved from https://www.bayreuth-academy.uni-bayreuth.de/en/News_Activities/Fellows-lectures/SoSe-2021/Otundo/index.html.

Phillips, D., and Sankey C., F. (1993). Diversification in Modern Language Teaching: Choice and the National Curriculum. Routledge. London. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003420156

Richards, J.C. & Rodgers, T.S. (1986). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://ia801609.us.archive.org/28/items/ApproachesAndMethodsInLanguageTeaching2ndEditionCambridgeLanguageTeachingLibrary_201610/__Approaches_and_Methods_in_Language_Teaching__2nd_Edition__Cambridge_Language_Teaching_Library_.pdf

Seals, C.A. and Olsen-Reeder, V. (2020). Translanguaging in Conjunction with language revitalization. System, 92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2020.102277

Seals C.A. (2021). Benefits of Translanguaging Pedagogy and Practice. Scottish Languages Review Issue 36, 1-8. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354616492_Benefits_of_Translanguaging_Pedagogy_and_Practice

Tamati, S. (2016). Transacquisition Pedagogy for Bilingual Education. A Study in Kura Kaupapa Maori Schools. PhD Thesis, University of Aukland. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/67283540/Transacquisition_Pedagogy_for_Bilingual_Education_A_Study_in_Kura_Kaupapa_M%C4%81ori_Schools

Downloads

Publicado

2025-10-27

Edição

Vol. 10 N.º 3 (2025)

Secção

Articles

Licença

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

 

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

 

  1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

 

  1. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).