Pedagogical Translanguaging as a Strategy of Overcoming Monolingual Foreign Language Teaching Model in Poland

Dariusz Stępkowski; Anna Sarbiewska; Olga Kacprowska

doi:10.21852/sem.1869

Published: 2025-11-26

Vol. 46 No. 2 (2025)

Pedagogical Translanguaging as a Strategy of Overcoming Monolingual Foreign Language Teaching Model in Poland

Dariusz Stępkowski

, Anna Sarbiewska

, Olga Kacprowska

Seminare. Learned Investigations

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1869

Abstract

The article explores the potential of pedagogical translanguaging as a theoretical and practical framework for overcoming the monolingual model of foreign language teaching and learning prevailing in the Polish educational system. Drawing on recent developments in translanguaging theory, the study examines how this approach redefines the concept of language competence, emphasizing its dynamic, processual, and integrated nature rather than its traditional lexical–grammatical understanding. The paper also discusses limitations of both monolingual and plurilingual classroom models, proposing instead the concept of a translingual classroom, in which learners consciously construct new linguistic codes through reflective engagement with their native language. Based on this perspective, five theses are formulated that outline the fundamental transformations required in Polish foreign language education. These theses emphasize the irreplaceable role of native language in acquiring additional languages, learner’s agency in meaning-making, and the necessity of developing translingual pedagogical practices. The study concludes that pedagogical translanguaging offers a promising path toward reconceptualizing foreign language education in Poland in line with the principles of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Keywords:

pedagogical translanguaging, trans-sphere, translingual classroom model

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Stępkowski, D., Sarbiewska, A., & Kacprowska, O. (2025). Pedagogical Translanguaging as a Strategy of Overcoming Monolingual Foreign Language Teaching Model in Poland. Seminare. Learned Investigations, 46(2). https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1869

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