Translanguaging in EMI law settings through the lens of Vietnamese students

Abstract

The current study investigated the perceptions and practices of Vietnamese law students of an advanced program in terms of translanguaging and its functions within English-medium instruction settings. Leveraging classroom observation and semi-structured interviews through the lens of translanguaging space (Wei, 2018) as the analytical framework, the findings revealed that while the institutional policies favor monolingual English use, students frequently utilized both planned and spontaneous shifts between English and Vietnamese to master complex legal concepts. Such flexible linguistic approach serves as a pedagogical scaffold, allowing learners to exercise their agency in clarifying abstract terminology, thereby reducing the cognitive burden of studying law in a foreign language. The majority of the interviewed students expressed their favor of the optimal position, i.e., the value of mother tongue resources in instructing discipline content and acknowledging socio-emotional support. Conversely, in certain situations, a small minority advocated for English-use only, reflecting the virtual position to maximize language exposure and maintain academic rigor. The study highlights the necessity of moving toward a multilingual orientation in EMI classrooms which underscores the benefits of leveraging students' full linguistic repertoires.