Translanguaging Practice in the English Classroom at an Indonesian Islamic Junior High School

Abstract

This study explores the practice of translanguaging in an English classroom at an Islamic junior high school located in a multilingual rural area of Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi, Indonesia. The research aims to investigate how translanguaging is used by a teacher and students during English instruction and to understand its pedagogical, communicative, and psychological functions. A qualitative descriptive method was employed, involving one English teacher and twenty eighth-grade students, five of whom took part in semi-structured interviews. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews, and document analysis, and were analyzed using thematic analysis involving data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings show that translanguaging was used both as a natural communication strategy and as a deliberate pedagogical tool: the teacher used Indonesian and the local Mandar language alongside English to clarify concepts and sustain engagement, while students used translanguaging to express ideas, confirm understanding, and participate more confidently. Three themes emerged: translanguaging as a tool for comprehension, as a medium for classroom participation, and as a source of emotional comfort and confidence. The study concludes that translanguaging should not be viewed as a sign of linguistic deficiency but as an effective pedagogical strategy bridging linguistic and cultural gaps in multilingual classrooms, and that in Islamic education it further promotes inclusivity and collaborative values consistent with the moral principles of Islamic schooling.