Current Translanguaging Lab Research Projects
Mapping the Linguistic Landscape of Rhode Island
In this study, we explore how multilingualism is made visible in Rhode Island by documenting texts all around us – traffic signs, posters, advertisements, warnings, billboards, and other visible media. Using Lingscape, we are constructing a map of the linguistic landscape throughout Rhode Island to document the diversity and flexibility of lived multilingualism in our state and to critically analyze what our local environmental print communicates about language, power, and access.
Translanguaging Pedagogy in Mainstream Classrooms
In this multiple case study, we explore how teachers working in mainstream classrooms with multilingual learners make sense of and take up translanguaging pedagogy. Much of the research on translanguaging pedagogy has focused on bilingual classrooms and/or bilingual educators. Through this study, we seek to better understand how all teachers (even those who identify as monolingual) can meaningfully take up translanguaging pedagogy in their classrooms to cultivate more affirming and supportive learning spaces for bi/multilingual students. This study is currently in the early stages of development, as we lay the groundwork for professional learning and classroom-based research with a range of educators working in different schools across Rhode Island.