Using a translanguaging framework to examine language production in a trilingual person with aphasia

When language abilities in aphasia are assessed in clinical and research settings, the standard practice is to examine each language of a multilingual person separately. But many multilingual individuals, with and without aphasia, mix their languages regularly when they communicate with other speakers who share their languages. We applied a novel approach to scoring language production of a multilingual person with aphasia. Our aim was to discover whether the assessment outcome would differ meaningfully when we count accurate responses in only the target language of the assessment session versus when we apply a translanguaging framework, that is, count all accurate responses, regardless of the language in which they were produced. The participant is a Farsi-German-English speaking woman with chronic moderate aphasia. We examined the participant's performance on two picture-naming tasks, an answering wh-question task, and an elicited narrative task. The results demonstrated that scores in English, the participant's third-learned and least-impaired language did not differ between the two scoring methods. Performance in German, the participant's moderately impaired second language benefited from translanguaging-based scoring across the board. In Farsi, her weakest language post-CVA, the participant's scores were higher under the translanguaging-based scoring approach in some but not all of the tasks. Our findings suggest that whether a translanguaging-based scoring makes a difference in the results obtained depends on relative language abilities and on pragmatic constraints, with additional influence of the linguistic distances between the languages in question.

Sociolinguistic Variation in Mouthings in British Sign Language: A Corpus-Based Study

Mouth activity forms a key component of all sign languages. This can be divided into mouthings, which originate from words in the ambient spoken language, and mouth gestures, which do not. This study examines the relationship between the distribution of mouthings co-occurring with verb signs in British Sign Language (BSL) and various linguistic and social factors, using the BSL Corpus. We find considerable variation between participants and a lack of homogeneity in mouth actions with particular signs. This accords with previous theories that mouthings constitute code-blending between spoken and signed languages-similar to code-switching or code-mixing in spoken languages-rather than being a phonologically or lexically compulsory part of the sign. We also find a strong association between production of plain verbs (which are body-anchored and cannot be modified spatially) and increased mouthing. In addition, we observe significant effects of region (signers from the south of the United Kingdom mouth more than those from the north), gender (women mouth more than men), and age (signers aged 16-35 years produce fewer mouthings than older participants). We find no significant effect of language background (deaf vs. hearing family). Based on these findings, we argue that the multimodal, multilingual, and simultaneous nature of code-blending in sign languages fits well within the paradigm of translanguaging. We discuss implications of this for concepts of translanguaging, code-switching, code-mixing, and related phenomena, highlighting the need to consider not just modality and linguistic codes but also sequential versus simultaneous patterning.

The use of translation theory through reconciling between Englishisation and translanguaging by Arab instructors in EMI higher education classes: Training postgraduate students to be translators and interpreters

Translation theory is taught at a postgraduate level in Arab countries through the use of English as a medium of instruction (EMI). It is often studied as a theoretical course, which is a major part of any EMI postgraduate translation/interpreting program taught in Arab universities. The present paper examines whether or not Arab instructors use translation theory when they train students in practical courses to be translators/interpreters in EMI higher education in a selection of Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East. It also investigates whether or not translation theory, if used by Arab instructors in the translation/interpreting training at a postgraduate level, is utilized through English only or through translanguaging. It adopts a mixed method, consisting of a questionnaire, which has been distributed to 60 Arab translation/interpreting instructors/trainers from the selected Arab countries alongside three semi-structured interviews with three Arab professors who have been chosen from the 60 instructors for their long experience of translation/interpreting training. The paper argues that most of the participants use translation theory when training postgraduate students in practical courses to be translators/interpreters. This is because the use of theory offers students a solid ground for their problem-solving, decision-making and the ability to explain the logic behind their choice. The paper also shows that the participants do not completely adhere to English as a medium of instruction, rather they exercise translanguaging while using translation theory in practical courses. This is due to the specific translation/interpreting terminology contained in such theories, which may not be easily comprehended by students through the use of English on its own. Finally, the paper claims that the majority of the participants use multiple theories through translanguaging in their training. They argue that each theory has its own use and students should be exposed to as many theories as possible in EMI higher education in the selected Arab countries through translanguaging. This paper offers a baseline for using translation theory for the purpose of the translation/interpreting training through translanguaging in EMI higher education in the selected Arab countries, which may have implications for bilingual instruction of translation theory in other similar contexts.

Fingerspelling and Its Role in Translanguaging

Fingerspelling is a critical component of many sign languages. This manual representation of orthographic code is one key way in which signers engage in translanguaging, drawing from all of their linguistic and semiotic resources to support communication. Translanguaging in bimodal bilinguals is unique because it involves drawing from languages in different modalities, namely a signed language like American Sign Language and a spoken language like English (or its written form). Fingerspelling can be seen as a unique product of the unified linguistic system that translanguaging theories purport, as it blends features of both sign and print. The goals of this paper are twofold: to integrate existing research on fingerspelling in order to characterize it as a cognitive-linguistic phenomenon and to discuss the role of fingerspelling in translanguaging and communication. We will first review and synthesize research from linguistics and cognitive neuroscience to summarize our current understanding of fingerspelling, its production, comprehension, and acquisition. We will then discuss how fingerspelling relates to translanguaging theories and how it can be incorporated into translanguaging practices to support literacy and other communication goals.