Translanguaging describes the flexible, fluid use of all linguistic resources within a shared repertoire of multilingual individuals, rather than strictly separating languages from one another. Here’s an example: If a group of people have language skills in German, English, and Turkish, they may switch fluidly between languages during a conversation—this can involve entire sentences or just scattered words; for instance, one person might ask a question in German, and another might answer in Turkish. The findings from the sixth Teacher Translanguaging Camp (TTC) demonstrate that this can be particularly productive and helpful in everyday school life. Under the title “Multilingualism and Translanguaging in English as a Foreign Language (EFL),” a total of 30 teacher education students, early-career researchers, educators, and project partners from Hildesheim, Lviv (Ukraine), Monastir (Tunisia), and Toluca (Mexico). The camp was organized by the Translang2 project team and Prof. Dr. Nils Jäkel, professor of Second Language Acquisition at the University of Hildesheim. 

Kristina Förster, a research assistant in the Translang2 project who conceived and led TTC26, describes the camp itself as a blend of a project conference and an academic course. Teacher education students from all disciplines can participate in the TTC. This gives the event a unique project conference atmosphere. Students with their own research experience meet fellow students who may be exploring the topics of multilingualism and translanguaging for the first time. “The TTC is intended to be a project conference where teacher education students from all subjects, with very different levels of research experience, can actively participate. It is precisely this learning with and from one another that we want to strengthen on a lasting basis,” explains Förster. Prof. Dr. Barbara Schmidt-Thieme, co-project leader of Translang2 and a mathematics education specialist, also emphasizes: “It was interesting to observe how initial skepticism about the value of one’s own research work gave way to curiosity about the results, and how new questions and perspectives were repeatedly brought up for discussion - for example, regarding differences in how multilingualism is addressed in language and non-language subjects.”

The research projects presented addressed a wide range of topics related to translanguaging: Two projects examined whether translanguaging alters the emotional experience in English classes. Three other teams investigated how teachers perceive, plan for, and utilize multilingualism in the classroom. Other projects focused on the cultural representation of teachers. The international guests also demonstrated in their presentations how strongly pedagogical decisions are shaped by local language norms and educational systems, and how language comparison, humor, and cultural contexts can become opportunities for learning. 

The approximately 30 participants themselves reflected a wide range of linguistic diversity: together, they listed 16 languages as part of their repertoire. At the same time, they brought diverse prior experiences from their studies, teaching, and research to the table. Together, they worked on specific situations drawn from school teaching practicums and classroom instruction.The TTC will continue as a project conference in the future and will remain open as an elective for teacher education students in all subjects. In the summer of 2027, the thematic focus will be on the role of AI in the context of translanguaging and multilingual-sensitive instruction. 

Like the Digital Translanguaging Coffee Breaks, the TTC is part of the Translang² project at the Department of Language and Information Sciences at the University of Hildesheim. The project integrates multilingualism—in its theoretical, intercultural, and pedagogical-didactic dimensions—into teacher education programs. Translang² strengthens international university partnerships, expands transnational learning opportunities, and promotes multilingualism-related competencies among teacher education students. Hybrid formats such as the TTC open up spaces for “Internationalization@Home.” 

More information about Translang² is available here.