Education and Human Development Journal
Vol 11 No 1 (2026): Education and Human Development Journal

A Translanguaging as a Culturally Responsive Practice: EFL Teachers’ Insights in Indonesian Classrooms

Fatus, Fatimatus Sadiyah (Unknown)
Irmayani (Unknown)
Buyun Khulel (Unknown)
Syifa Khuriyatuz Zahro (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
09 Mar 2026

Abstract

This study explores translanguaging as a culturally responsive pedagogical practice in Indonesian EFL classrooms by examining its classroom enactment, the pedagogical reasoning underlying its use, and the challenges teachers face in implementing it. Adopting a qualitative descriptive design, the study analysed classroom observations, instructional documents, lesson plans, and teachers’ written reflections to capture naturally occurring instructional practices without relying primarily on participant self-reports. The findings reveal that EFL teachers employ translanguaging strategically to facilitate meaning-making processes, including clarifying instructions, explaining complex vocabulary and grammatical concepts, managing classroom interactions, and enhancing student engagement. Teachers’ pedagogical reasoning was inferred from recurring instructional patterns observed across lessons—specifically, when and for what purposes teachers shifted between languages—from the alignment between lesson plans, instructional materials, and classroom enactment, as well as from teachers’ reflective documents that articulated rationales for particular language choices. Triangulation of these data sources indicates that teachers’ translanguaging practices are guided by efforts to promote comprehension, reduce learners’ anxiety, and create inclusive learning environments that acknowledge students’ linguistic and cultural identities. However, the findings also demonstrate that institutional expectations of English-only instruction, limited professional preparation in multilingual pedagogy, diverse student linguistic backgrounds, and prevailing societal ideologies privileging English proficiency constrain the consistent implementation of translanguaging. Overall, the study concludes that translanguaging constitutes a pedagogically grounded and culturally responsive practice shaped by teachers’ professional judgment and contextual realities. The study underscores the need for clearer policy support and targeted professional development to strengthen multilingual pedagogical practices in Indonesian EFL contexts.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

EHDJ

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education Environmental Science Social Sciences Other

Description

Educatioan and Human Development Journal (EHDJ) Published by the Teaching and Education Faculty (FKIP). Published since April 7, 2017 with two versions, namely the printed version of ISSN: 2541-0156 and online e-SSN: 2559-0292. Rear-published twice every April and September. Committed to improving ...