‘We mix to make meaning’: A case study of translanguaging practices in a Thai tertiary EFL classroom

The present qualitative single-case study investigates the translanguaging method in a Thai university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom during collaborative group work in an Intermediate English for Academic Purposes course in a public university in central Thailand. By using non-participant video observation in five class sessions, semi-structured interviews with 15 purposefully selected students and their instructor, artefact analysis, and thematic analysis, this study reveals that the students strategically utilise their unitary linguistic repertoire (Thai and English) for procedural scaffolding, cognitive scaffolding (including idea generation and first language (L1) reasoning before using English), creative expression, and metacognitive regulation. Students also demonstration that using translanguaging enables real understanding, minimises anxiety, boosts participation and confidence, and promotes bilingual agency, evidenced in metaphors such as a “bigger toolbox.” These agentive translanguaging practices challenge monolingual ideologies in Thai university EFL contexts and confirm previous studies on the socio-cognitive and affective advantages of using translanguaging in EFL contexts. This study suggests that future research should consider the integration of translanguaging stance and design in teacher education programs, the implementation of English-only policy to embrace multilingual repertoires in Thai university EFL contexts, and the design of tasks that facilitate strategic language use to promote equitable and inclusive learning.