Translanguaging practices in Thai multilingual English medium instruction classrooms: a route to confidence and participation

Abstract

In an era of multilingual education, translanguaging bridges linguistic and cultural divides in English-medium instruction (EMI) classrooms. However, limited research explores how international students engage in translanguaging within Thailand’s EMI contexts. Hence, this qualitative study investigates the translanguaging practices of 16 multilingual students from seven ASEAN countries (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Laos, and the Philippines) enrolled in four EMI programmes across three Thai universities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and reflective journals, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings reveal seven core translanguaging practices, including facilitating academic mastery, fostering collaborative learning, addressing proficiency gaps, enhancing classroom engagement, navigating cultural identity, enhancing clarity in classroom interactions, and building inclusive connections. These practices served as strategic responses to institutional language policies and classroom challenges. The study offers practical implications for EMI pedagogy, teacher training, and language policy reform, arguing that translanguaging should be embraced not only as a tool for learning, but as a framework for creating inclusive and linguistically responsive EMI environments.

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