Translanguaging Influenced Writing in Different Languages: A Case of Multilingual Students at Secondary Education in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Researching aspects of multilingualism has attracted growing interest among scholars. However, such studies have less explored how translanguaging (TL) influences writing in multiple languages. This study considered essays written by three students in secondary education in Sri Lanka, using their first language (L1/Tamil), second language (L2/English), and third language (L3/Sinhala). The study aims to comprehend how TL practices have influenced their writing and report on the reflections of the students and their teachers on TL in writing. A comprehensive qualitative analysis of the data revealed that TL practices such as the use of lexical items from students’ L2, following similar strategies for writing and the use of previously learnt information and writing knowledge have influenced the writing across languages. The findings from the interview data suggested that the student writers sensed uneasiness towards TL in writing as such practices were not recognised as legitimate and that the teachers did not favour TL in writing even though they were lenient towards TL in speaking. The implications for the education of multilingual students are also discussed.