THE VALUE OF FEEDBACK IN TRANSLANGUAGING: STUDENTS’ INSIGHTS FROM AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE AT LONDRINA STATE UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The recognition of plurilingualism in Brazil has drawn attention to the phenomenon of translanguaging, which has been gaining more advocates around the world. Translanguaging is a conceptual and ideological framework that seeks to account for communicative practices constructed out of diversity of linguistic and cultural repertoires. It has been used and discussed for more than two decades, mainly in the field of bilingual education and in the study of modern foreign languages. In order to contribute to the discussion about translanguaging in Brazil, this study provides a perspective for exploring the value of feedback in the translanguaging theory in higher education; namely, as observed in an academic course at Londrina State University in the State of Paraná. The use of a single focus group discussion, as data collection, and of Thematic Analysis for coding allowed the researcher to identify themes for the description of both implicit and explicit ideas within the data. Results showed that students value feedback under three main themes. Feedback was valued as a task established by the professor, with clear goals. Such goals positioned feedback as a guideline for students to internalize their own learning. Finally, providing an environment of collaboration where they felt motivated to take academic risks was also perceived as valuable.