Translanguaging in Welsh early years traditional storytelling activities

With an increased interest on how heritage languages might be supported in educational contexts
globally we suggest here that translanguaging offers one potential practical solution. Originating in
Wales, translanguaging is positioned as an intentional pedagogical practice endorsed by the Welsh
government, and explored in situ here. Focusing on the beginning of a storytelling activity about
the Welsh collection of stories – The Mabinogion – in a new entrant classroom in Mid-Wales, we
reveal the translanguaging practices that are embedded in a rich multimodal environment that
creates a sense of belonging and identity. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the systematics
of translanguaging as fluid, multimodal practices of meaning making co-produced between children
and teacher during the Welsh traditional storytelling activity.