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Creative translanguaging in formative assessment: Chinese teachers’ perceptions and practices in the primary EFL classroom

  • Vincent Greenier ORCID logo , Xiaohua Liu ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Yangyu Xiao ORCID logo
Published/Copyright: May 25, 2023

Abstract

In Chinese primary EFL classrooms, translanguaging between English and Chinese is commonly used by teachers and students out of need for efficient communication, however, this practice has been and is still widely believed to hinder students’ English development. Although recent studies have revealed the benefits translanguaging offers for teaching and learning, little has been done to understand teachers’ perceptions and use of a translanguaging pedagogy in their formative assessment practices, which is expected to play a more important role than before in China’s primary education due to recent policy reform. To close this gap, this exploratory study conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 Chinese primary EFL teachers, who are varied in their geographical location and teaching experience. Adopting an abductive thematic analysis approach, data analysis aimed at understanding how translanguaging was used to facilitate the implementation of formative assessment. Through the lens of creativity, three essential types of translanguaging practices – translanguaging for meaning-making (through preparation and expansion), collaboration, and empowerment – were identified, which have the potential to facilitate different procedures of formative assessment by accelerating understanding and expression, stimulating critical thinking and exploration, maintaining interest and engagement, and promoting autonomy and peer learning.


Corresponding author: Xiaohua Liu, Academic English, School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001 Longxiang Avenue, Longgang District, Shenzhen, 518172, China, E-mail:

  1. Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

  2. Data availability statement: The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the lead and corresponding authors on request.

  3. Author contribution: All authors have materially participated in the research and article preparation and approved the final article.

Appendix

Interview Questions

  1. Could you briefly introduce yourself (e.g., age, qualification, years of teaching, years of teaching at your current school, etc.)? 您可以简单介绍一下您自己吗 (比如年龄、专业背景、教龄、在您目前所在学校的教学时间等)?

  2. Could you please describe the English course and classes you are teaching (e.g., class size, students’ program year, English language proficiency, learning motivation, classroom engagement, materials used, etc.)? 您可以谈一谈您目前所教的英语课程以及班级 (比如班级大小、学生的年级、英语水平、学习动机、课堂参与情况、所使用的教材等) 吗?

  3. Could you talk something about your teaching (e.g., your main teaching approach and philosophy)? How do you normally interact with students in class? 您可以谈一谈您的教学吗 (比如您主要的教学方法和理念)? 您通常怎样跟学生在课堂上互动?

  4. How often do you use Chinese in your English class? What is your attitude towards using Chinese in English class? What factors prompt/inhibit your usage of Chinese in your English class? Can you explain why (e.g., students’ language proficiency, students’ expectations/requirements, course leader/school’s requirements/regulations, social expectations and values, etc.)? 您在您英语课上使用中文的频率如何? 您对在英语课上使用中文怎么看? 您觉得哪些因素促使/阻碍了您在英语课堂上使用中文? (您在英语课堂上使用/不使用中文是出于何种考虑?) 为什么 (比如学生的英文水平、学生的期望/要求、课程组长/学校的要求/规定)?

  5. Do you know formative assessments (e.g., peer assessment, self-assessment, quiz, Q&A, portfolio, dictation, writings, oral presentations, etc.) and summative assessments (e.g., mid-term exam, end-of-term exam, etc.)? How do you commonly assess students’ learning achievements and language abilities? Who are generally in charge of the design of those assessment tasks and/or papers? 您知道形成性评价 (同伴评估、自评、小测、问答、档案袋、听写、写作、口头报告等) 和终结性评价 (如期中考试、期末考试等) 吗? 您一般怎样测试学生的学习进步情况以及语言水平? 这些测评任务或者试卷一般都由谁设计?

  6. Can you remember your latest formative assessment? What type of formative assessment was it? Did you use Chinese alongside English during its process? Why or why not? Did your students use Chinese alongside English during its process? 您还记得您最近的一次形成性评价吗? 是什么样的形成性评价? 在这个过程中您在英文之外使用中文了吗? 为什么/为什么没有? 在这个过程中您的学生在英文之外使用中文了吗?

  7. During the processes of other formative assessments/evaluations, in what circumstances do you usually find that you need to use Chinese alongside English? Do you actually do so? Why? If not, what factors do you think are usually stopping you from using Chinese? 当您在进行形成性评价的过程当中, 通常在什么情况下您觉得需要在英语之外使用中文 (使用英文的同时使用中文)? 您会这样做吗? 为什么? 如果不会, 您觉得哪些因素阻止您这样做? (您主要是出于什么样的考虑?)

  8. During the processes of other formative assessments/evaluations, in what circumstances would your students use Chinese alongside English? What are your normal responses to this? What are the main factors affecting your responses? 在形成性评价的过程当中, 通常什么样的情况下您的学生会在英文之外使用中文 (使用英文的同时使用中文)? 对此您通常的反应是怎样的? 您觉得哪些因素促使您做出这样的反应 (您主要出于什么样的考虑)?

  9. Can you remember your latest summative assessment? What type of summative assessment was it? Did you use Chinese alongside English during its process? Why or why not? Did your students use Chinese alongside English during its process? 您还记得您最近的一次终结性评价吗? 是什么样的终结性评价? 在这个过程中您在英文之外使用中文了吗? 为什么/为什么没有? 在这个过程中您的学生在英文之外使用中文了吗?

  10. During the processes of other summative assessments/tests, in what circumstances do you usually find that you need to use Chinese alongside English? Do you actually do so? Why? If not, what factors do you think are usually stopping you from using Chinese? 当您在进行其它终结性评价的过程当中, 通常在什么情况下您觉得需要在英语之外使用中文 (使用英文的同时使用中文)? 为什么? 您会这样做吗? 如果不会, 您觉得哪些因素阻止您这样做? (您主要是出于什么样的考虑?)

  11. During the processes of summative assessments/tests, in what circumstances would your students use Chinese alongside English? What are your normal responses to this? What are the main factors affecting your responses? 在终结性评价的过程当中, 通常什么样的情况下您的学生会在英文之外使用中文 (使用英文的同时使用中文)? 对此您通常的反应是怎样的? 您觉得哪些因素促使您做出这样的反应 (您主要出于什么样的考虑)?

  12. Overall/If you have to summarize in a few words, what do you think are the major challenges for you to use Chinese during your formative and summative assessment processes respectively? Can you explain why? What are your coping strategies? 总地来说/如果用几句话来总结一下, 您认为您在施行形成性评价和终结性评价过程中的主要困难/挑战有哪些? 请您分别进行说明。 您通常采取什么样的措施来应对这些困难/挑战?

  13. Do you have anything else to add regarding the use of Chinese during formative and summative assessments as well as English classes in general? 对于您在形成性评价、终结性评价以及英语课过程中使用中文的情况, 您还有其它想要补充的吗?

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Received: 2023-04-28
Accepted: 2023-04-30
Published Online: 2023-05-25
Published in Print: 2024-09-25

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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