The teachers’ beliefs on translanguaging practices during speaking tasks in the Spanish as a foreign language classroom

Abstract

Teachers’ beliefs on language use and teaching approaches in the FL classroom is an important component to understand teachers’ decisions and practices. Given that the teacher is a primary source of TL input for learners, the ideal goal is to maximise its use. However, research in the local context shows that in the Maltese SFL classroom, teachers resort to the learners’ first languages to facilitate FL acquisition. The present study aims to examine teachers’ beliefs on translanguaging practices and their approaches in developing the learners’ speaking skills. Five Spanish teachers were interviewed. The interviews reveal that the teacher participants regard translanguaging as a valuable educational resource, as it facilitates TL comprehension and creates a relaxed classroom environment. Despite the positive views on translanguaging, teachers adopt a Spanish-only approach during speaking tasks, as they believe it is the only time for students to practise the TL within realistic situations. This study also concludes that teachers’ beliefs on language use are influenced by a variety of factors including previous learning experiences, teacher education, school’s language policies and the learners’ level of ability. Such factors are also delved into as they are important components in understanding teachers’ agentive role in the SFL classroom. In fact, the teachers exert their agency to varying degrees and they can be powerful language policy makers in their own classrooms.