Power, literacy engagement, and polyphonic identities: Translanguaging in a Tanzanian community library

Abstract

Powerful monoglossic ideologies in Tanzania have resulted in the pitting of Kiswahili and English in antagonistic opposition to each other, and the muting of the 130+ local languages in educational spaces. Cheche Community Library in northern Tanzania explores community-driven alternatives to rigid either/or discourses of language education by creating a translanguaging space which celebrates and expands children's diverse linguistic resources. This paper details a critical action research study examining the impact of various multilingual pedagogies on power relations, literacy engagement and identity negotiation. These multilingual pedagogies include writing, reading, storytelling, singing, reading aloud, and games, all of which encourage translanguaging, with a focus on Maa (Maasai language), Kiswahili and English. The study's participants were a combination of Maa-dominant and Kiswahili-dominant multilingual children. The findings show how specific uses of translanguaging...