Dismantling Monolingual Ideologies Through Translanguaging in South African Universities: An Integrative Review

Abstract

This study is an integrative review of literature on the current state and practice of translanguaging in South African higher education institutions. The study is premised on the observation that, although translanguaging theory and practice have gained considerable attention from scholars in the Global North, a great deal remains to be known regarding its affordances in the Global South. Data was gathered through a comprehensive peer-reviewed literature search from various online scholarly databases using keywords. The study indicates that the published literature on translanguaging in South African universities explores its utility as a pedagogical strategy for teaching STEM subjects. A total of 30 studies published between 2015 and 2025 were reviewed and thematically analysed. This literature is dominated by theoretical perspectives that centre colonially inherited raciolinguistic ideologies about the utility of African indigenous languages in higher education. The study shows that published literature on translanguaging in South African universities broaches themes on its utility as a pedagogical strategy for teaching (STEM) subjects. The literature also focuses on how translanguaging functions as a disruptive pedagogical strategy with the potential to mainstream multilingualism in teaching and learning, consequently dismantling monolingual ideologies and practices that valorise English as the legitimate language of education and social advantage. Translanguaging has the potential to address inequality and serve as a socially just pedagogy with inherent decolonial intentions. Having critically examined and synthesised the literature, the article identifies gaps, provides directions for future research, and localises theoretical innovations.ReferencesAlfian, A. (2022). Translanguaging practice in higher education: Lecturers’ and students’ perspectives. 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