How DUCKS Nurtures Multilingual Minds Through Translanguaging

At Dulwich College Beijing’s DUCKS, we believe in the power of language and its role in creating a rich multicultural community. Translanguaging is a key strategy used to deliver our Dual Language programme, enabling students to develop Mandarin and English simultaneously while fostering meaningful connections between their home language and new languages. By encouraging parents to actively engage with their children in their home language, we strengthen language acquisition, nurture a strong sense of identity and cultural pride, and lay the foundations for children to communicate socially as they journey to Live Worldwise.

Discover how we bring language learning to life at DUCKS here

In a previous article, we delved into how our DUCKS (Dulwich College Kindergarten School) students approached learning in their first unit. In this article, written by our DUCKS EAL Coordinator, Emily Laws, she offers a glimpse into how translanguaging worked in the classroom during the first Unit of Investigation: Identity.

By Emily Laws

DUCKS EAL Coordinator

As the first term begins, students have well-settled in their classrooms. They know their classmates and teachers as well as the routines of the school day. Now it's time for some Unit of Investigation learning to start. 

Learning Identity Through Embracing One's Own

The current Unit of Investigation, Identity, is an invitation to get to know one another.

In DUCKS, this means teachers understanding a student's background including their culture and languages spoken at home and forging links to these in school.

Identity can be a challenging concept. To ensure understanding and make the topic more accessible, students use their first language alongside English. This dual-linguistic approach allows students to explore the topic more deeply.

Many of our youngest students are also learning Mandarin as a second language. Translanguaging is essential for them in discovering their new identity as a Chinese speaker.

Sarah Liang, an EAL Dual Language teacher, has more than 15 years’ experience at supporting students with their language development. She leads the new students on a tour around the school as they learn the place names in Chinese. She extends the students with questions about who works in the different places, and which lessons they enjoy the most. Students’ efforts in Mandarin are acknowledged with a Values character sticker or House point, “what a Confident Cong you are!” 

The classroom environment also reflects the current learning with the story That’s Not My Name!’ by Anoosha Syed being shared to encourage the students and teachers to learn one another’s names correctly.

The Year 2's Identity unit sees the students examining ancient China. Mrs Buxton, a class teacher and Year Leader, enriches learning with many different artefacts, such as a piece of silk with a map of the Silk Road, a 3D book of the Silk Road, and some mock Terracotta Warrior statues. These hands-on materials encourage self and peer discovery and discussion, making abstract concepts tangible.

For instance, one of her students place a 'golden nugget' on the Silk Road map, asking in Mandarin, 'was there really gold in ancient China?' Ms Wang, a Dual Language Teacher, translates the question into English for the class, prompting collective curiousity, with others nodding and others looking on curiously; they will have to wait until they investigate more to find out the answer.

In this particular class, six different home languages are spoken, and students are grasping these concepts or topics by comparing these places with landmarks from their home countries. This approach seamlessly integrates history, language, and culture, making the learning experience both meaningful and tangible. By building on their prior knowledge and sharing it with their peers, students are not only deepening their understanding but also embodying our school's vision to 'Live Worldwise.' 

Translanguaging: The Cornerstone of Learning in DUCKS

All DUCKS staff are champions of the *translanguaging strategy, which Canagarajah (2011) defines as 'multilingual competence' emerging from 'local practices where multiple languages are negotiated for communication'. Translanguaging goes beyond the recognition of two languages being spoken in the same space; it values the knowledge students bring and allows them to contribute in multiple ways, which helps to boost their self-esteem as learners. This is important in a diverse environment such as ours which strives to provide equity for all learners.

To make this concept relatable for our youngest learners, DUCKS introduces characters like 'Resilient Ren,' whose stories encourage children to embrace the challenges of being resilient language learners. For example, students in a Year 2 class familiar with local historic sights and their Mandarin names share them with Ms Wang, an experienced Dual Language Teacher, who then helps them to learn the names in English and translates their questions to allow all students to take part in the discussion. Other students then chime in with their own insights from their own cultural lens, enriching the discussion.

Translanguaging is a key strategy in our Dual Language curriculum, which develops students' Mandarin and English simultaneously and lays the foundations for children to communicate socially. The curriculum builds both **Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS)—social phrases or skills that are generally learned at a rapid rate, typically learned within two years—and **Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), the more advanced language required for academic success. To support families in practising their BICS skills, the DUCKS EAL team produces weekly videos for each year group with practical phrases for use at home and school. Teachers use diverse strategies, such as gestures and visuals, to support the gradual development of both skills and to help ensure students grasp complex terms beyond verbal explanations.

The Learning Environment as the Third Teacher

At DUCKS, the learning environment acts as a "third teacher," supporting student-led exploration through thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor spaces. Teachers set up engaging provocations, such as intriguing objects or tasks, to spark curiosity and discovery. Vocabulary is accessible through QR codes, enabling students to explore words and related images independently. Cultural and linguistic representation is woven into the classroom, from multilingual book corners fostering a love of reading to children helping label displays, reinforcing essential vocabulary and creating resources they can refer to. 

Celebrating Home languages, Cultural Identity and Building Confident, Multilingual Learners

We actively celebrate and support students' home languages to strengthen literacy and identity. A weekly Korean club, for example, brings Korean-speaking students together to socialise, with Senior School students often joining when their schedules allow. We actively celebrate and support students' home languages to strengthen literacy and identity. For parents, continuing to speak their home language at home fosters strong communication, self-esteem, and cultural identity. It also builds a secure foundation for exploring new languages, ensuring each child's journey is both supported and celebrated.

At DUCKS, we recognise each child's language journey is unique. By laying solid foundations in both English and their home languages, we aim to personalise learning and provide the right level of challenge. Ultimately, our goal is to nurture confident, multilingual learners with a strong sense of identity.

*Canagarajah, Suresh. "Translanguaging in the Classroom: Emerging Issues for Research and Pedagogy." Applied linguistics review 2.2011 (2011): 1–28. Web.

**Cummins, J. (2013). BICS and CALP: Empirical Support, Theoretical Status, and Policy Implications of a Controversial Distinction. In Framing Languages and Literacies (1st ed., pp. 10–23). Routledge.