Abstract

This article describes the process of understanding how translanguaging is naturally used in multilingual teaching environments and then applying this analysis to the creation of translanguaging grammar rules and ultimately pedagogical materials. Focusing primarily on our work with a Māori puna reo in Aotearoa New Zealand, but also drawing upon our work with a Samoan a’oga amata, we explain in this article how we created translingual children’s books and other teaching materials that are able to embody translingual practices and core cultural values. After discussing the materials and their development, this article ends with an initial analysis of the materials’ effectiveness as well as a discussion of the importance of translingual pedagogical materials that goes beyond traditional discussions of codeswitching in the classroom.

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