Translanguaging as a Multilingual Practice: Supporting Young Learners' Language Development in Digital EFL Classrooms

Abstract

Translanguaging has received considerable scholarly attention as a pedagogical approach that allows learners to use their entire linguistic repertoire rather than restricting them to a single target language. Despite this expanding interest, its implementation in digital English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms, particularly with young learners, remains largely unexplored. Since most of the literature currently published concentrates on formal secondary and tertiary contexts, there is still a substantial knowledge gap regarding how translanguaging as a multilingual method supports young learners to improve their language development in technology-mediated learning settings. This study aims to examine how translanguaging practices have been discussed in relation to young learners’ language development in digital EFL classroom settings. Adopting a qualitative literature review design, the study analyzes previous scholarly publications focusing on translanguaging, multilingual practices, and digital language learning among young learners. Thematic analysis is used to identify recurring patterns, perspectives, and pedagogical implications related to multilingual interaction and language development in digital learning environments. The findings demonstrate that translanguaging, when purposefully integrated into digital EFL instruction, can improve vocabulary acquisition, strengthen learners' communicative confidence, and enhance overall linguistic engagement in the digital learning context.