Policy and Planning for Translanguaging in English Language Teaching in Nigerian Multilingual Universities

The question of using more than one language in the classroom has gained significance in the English language teaching in multilingual universities in Nigeria, and therefore the policies and strategic planning towards the use of translanguaging must take place to facilitate effective learning and communication. Despite Nigeria’s linguistic diversity, the official teaching medium is English, hence the ever-existing gap between classroom practice and official language policy. Translanguaging, defined as dynamic and strategic use of multiple languages in learning, has been conceptualized as a pedagogical strategy that can facilitate understanding, supplement academic language, and authorize students’ language and cultural identities. Based on a mixed-methods research design, the study gathered data from 460 participants, including 40 lecturers, 20 education planners, and 400 undergraduate students, using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. Quantitative results indicate translanguaging is used sporadically to explain difficult things, enable class participation, and make writing easier, but there are limits in the guise of rigid curricula, inadequate teacher training, and lack of support on the part of institutions. Qualitative results support these patterns of evidence, such as persistent policy loopholes, sporadic translanguaging at the classroom level, and challenges as well as opportunities for systematic integration. The learners testified to the teaching advantage of translanguaging, such as improved understanding, enhanced students’ involvement, and legitimation of cultural and linguistic identity. The research called for the urgency of purposive policy reformulation, strategic planning frameworks, staff development among academics, and institutional support structures to join the mainstream of higher education. By closing the gap between English-only policies and multilingual practices, this research adds to the literature in language-in-education policy, multilingual pedagogy, and educational planning. The conclusions presented pragmatic suggestions for policymakers, education planners, and lecturers who wish to create inclusive, equitable, and effective learning communities in linguistically diverse higher education settings.