Translanguaging in assessments
Perspectives on the strategies and implications for multilingual classrooms
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21757282 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nomalungelo Ngubane (0000-0002-7255-4673, University of the Free State, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 1-11 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-02 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1607-3614 • E-ISSN: 1727-9461 |
| Publisher | National Inquiry Services Center (NISC) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2989/16073614.2025.2474113 |
| OpenAlex | W4412188367 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
Despite South African higher education consisting of a large number of multilingual students and teachers, assessments remain largely based on English monolingual constructs. This demands that all students taking the assessments should be proficient in the language of assessment. Monolingual assessments undermine the multilingual competencies of multilingual students and the diverse linguistic resources that enable them to best indicate their understanding and knowledge. Assessment practices conducted with English monolingual ideology bring about underachievement and demotivation for students whose first language is not English. To counter such negative effects, this article brings forth translanguaging in assessments. Translanguaging in assessment allows multilingual students to ‘shuttle’ between all their existing linguistic resources to indicate what they know and what they can do with the knowledge. This conceptual article reflects on the negative aspects of monolingual assessments and why they are not fair, not valid and bring about inequalities in attainment of learning outcomes. It then reviews literature on translanguaging in assessments. Later, the article brings forth the strategies and approaches that can be used to initiate translanguaging in assessments in multilingual settings. Last, but not least, the article discusses the implications of translanguaging assessments for pedagogy and for language policy, especially in South Africa
Linguistics · Mathematics education · Multilingual Education · Multilingualism · Pedagogy · Sociology · Translanguaging · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Multilingual Education and Policy · Philosophy · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching
Translanguaging
Moving out of linguistic boxes
Assessing Multilingual Competencies
A fair go
Translanguaging pedagogy in selected English First Additional Language writing classrooms
Interrogating the Language Gap of Young Bilingual and Bidialectal Students
Assessment accommodations for emergent bilinguals in mainstream classroom assessments
Clarifying translanguaging and deconstructing named languages
Integrating translanguaging into assessment
The multilingual turn
Integrating translanguaging into formative assessment
Grappling with translanguaging for teaching and assessment in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts
Translanguaging and Literacies
Savviness of sixth graders
| Highly cited | No |
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