“I don’t like English because it is jard.” Exploring multimodal writing and translanguaging practices for biliteracy in a dual language classroom

This qualitative case study explores how integrating multimodal writing opportunities in a second-grade dual language classroom opens up spaces for translanguaging practices in order to promote a more equitable and socially just access to biliteracy development for emergent bilinguals. A multimodal writing project that integrated writing and social studies was designed to provide students with opportunities to write in English and Spanish using digital tools. Data collected involved field notes, student work, students’ interviews, and videorecordings of students’ interaction while completing the writing tasks. Findings illustrate how the multimodal writing project afforded emergent bilinguals with opportunities to leverage their full linguistic repertoire to construct meaningful texts in both languages while integrating new features in both languages, establishing cross-linguistic connections, building metalinguistic awareness, and positioning as capable writers in both languages.