Speaker
Description
As Vietnam gradually shifts from an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) orientation toward a more English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learning environment, universities face increasing pressure to prepare students to use English effectively for academic communication. Academic writing plays a central role in this transition, particularly in programs preparing learners for English-Medium Instruction (EMI). However, many students struggle to express complex academic ideas exclusively in English during the early stages of EMI preparation. While translanguaging has been increasingly recognized as a pedagogical resource enabling learners to draw on their full linguistic repertoires to support meaning-making and language development, there remains limited empirical research on how strategic translanguaging can support academic writing development in EMI preparation courses within emerging ESL contexts such as Vietnam.
This study investigates how controlled translanguaging practices support English academic writing development among Vietnamese university students. Drawing on multilingual pedagogy that views learners’ linguistic repertoires as resources rather than constraints, the study involved 50 undergraduate students (B1+–B2) enrolled in a seven-week academic writing course preparing learners for EMI study. A mixed-methods design combined pre- and post-writing tasks, rubric-based assessment, learner questionnaires, and focus-group interviews. Translanguaging was implemented during planning, idea development, and reflection stages, while final texts remained in English. Findings indicate improved argument clarity, organization, and metalinguistic awareness without reducing English exposure. The study therefore positions strategic translanguaging as a pedagogical bridge between multilingual cognition and academic English development in Vietnam’s evolving ESL-oriented higher education environment.
Keywords: translanguaging, academic writing instruction, EFL-to-ESL transition, EMI preparation, multilingual pedagogy
