Redefining English Language Teaching in Punjab: Embracing Translanguaging and Plurilingual Competence for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Translanguaging is an innovative pedagogical approach that embraces and leverages learners' linguistic and cultural diversity to support learning. It has gained significant traction in multilingual education settings, especially in linguistically diverse contexts like India. This article explores the role of translanguaging in promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in English Language Teaching (ELT) classrooms in Punjab, in alignment with India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Through a mixed-methods approach that includes 45 surveys and five interviews with teachers from various educational settings in Punjab, the study investigates how translanguaging practices are integrated into ELT, the challenges teachers face, and how these practices align with EDI principles.

The paper discusses if and how translanguaging promotes linguistic equity and helps validate students' cultural identities and feel included. It illustrates the pedagogical challenges ELT teachers face, particularly in mixed-language and mixed-ability classrooms. The findings show that teachers often struggle with balancing students' linguistic backgrounds while promoting proficiency in English, the language of instruction. The results also indicate that despite the NEP 2020 call for multilingualism in India, problematic issues related to teacher preparedness, classroom management, and resource limitations persist.

This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on translanguaging and EDI, suggesting that plurilingual competence offers valuable insights for inclusive educational practices. However, in light of the findings, it proposes that successful implementation will require addressing systemic challenges related to teacher training and educational policy alignment.