Exchanging goods on the linguistic market of second phase teacher training: Translanguaging as an (il)legitimate practice

• Published in: Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Language
• Main Author: Patricia Louise Morris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dr. Seyat Polat 01.07.2025
• Subjects: ethnography; Multilingualism; teacher training; translanguaging
• ISSN: 2747-5646
• DOI: 10.71514/jssal/2025.175

This paper examines translingual practices in the second phase of teacher training (Vorbereitungsdienst) for French and Spanish in Germany. Applying an ethnographic approach based on Grounded Theory Methodology, this study analyses observation protocols from classroom visits, subject-specific seminar sessions, and post-lesson debriefings to reconstruct translingual practices in teacher education. The study is framed by Bourdieu’s concept of the linguistic market, which illustrates how institutional contexts assign varying degrees of recognition and value to different language practices. By examining the linguistic practices of teacher trainees, this research explores how institutional norms and language ideologies shape foreign language instruction. Findings reveal a paradoxical approach to multilingualism: while teacher trainees (and teacher educators) employ translingual and multimodal strategies, pupils are expected to adhere strictly to the monolingual norm in the target language. This tension reflects broader power structures in education, reinforcing linguistic hierarchies. By critically examining translingual practices in teacher training, this paper contributes to the discussion on language policy, pedagogical norms, and the professionalization of foreign language teachers.