Rasman’s (2018) study investigates multilingual practices in a ninth-grade English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where students regularly shifted among English, Indonesian, and Javanese to support their learning. Drawing on video-recorded small-group discussions of past national exam items, the research analyzed 14- and 15-year-old students’ talk using an ecological discourse approach that considered both student exchanges and the broader socio-political context shaping language hierarchies. Translanguaging was found to scaffold meaning, clarify instructions, and build shared understanding. Students often switched to Indonesian or Javanese to explain challenging vocabulary before returning to English to continue the task. As Rasman notes, translanguaging “help[s] learners to develop their multilingual competencies (including the English language).”
However, the study also found that English was often perceived as prestigious, while Javanese was seen as “less proper.” These perceptions sometimes inhibited students from fully drawing on their linguistic resources, creating tension between local practices and aspirations to perform in English. Rasman observed that “socio-political stigma… may prevent learners from maximizing their full repertoire when learning English.” The findings suggest that while translanguaging can enrich language development, educators must create intentional spaces where students feel empowered to use their full linguistic repertoire without fear of judgment.