Translanguaging practices of students in science and math classes in a Chinese/English dual language bilingual program

Abstract This article is focused on the discussion of three 4th grade students’ translanguaging practices in math and science classes in a Mandarin/English one-way dual language immersion program. In the U.S., the number of dual language immersion programs is increasing. While research strongly supports the benefits of bilingual programs, implementation challenges caused by a “dual” perception seem to remain unsolved. This article presents data excerpts collected and analyzed for a multi-case study to describe and discuss students’ translanguaging practices and their benefits in content learning contexts. Findings reveal that bilingual students are engaged in highly flexible and dynamic language use for meaningful learning, which contradicts the monolingual ideology permeating dual language programs. In addition, findings from this study contribute to the understanding of Chinese/English bilingual students’ translanguaging practice in their learning, which adds to the research on students’ linguistic practice in dual-language bilingual education.