Over the past twenty years, the term translanguaging has gained significant traction as a viable pedagogical choice in the classroom. Translanguaging refers to the fluid use of multiple languages by bi/multilinguals in teaching and learning to enable meaning making , enhance understanding, and to contribute to knowledge creation. This concept paper explores the evolution of translanguaging from its inception in the 1990s to its current applications in education. It examines the core ideas proposed by scholars like Cen Williams and Ofelia Garcia, in highlighting the shift away from seeing languages as separate entities towards recognizing their interconnectedness. The paper goes on to further highlight how translanguaging as a pedagogical practice enhances epistemic access. However, the paper argues that a critical examination of translanguaging is crucial, particularly in African contexts. It differentiates between the monolingual view, which prioritizes one language (often a colonial language), and the multilingual view, which aligns with translanguaging's celebration of diverse linguistic skills. The paper emphasizes the reality of African contexts where learners come to school fluently speaking at least two languages. It cautions against the monolingual view of translanguaging, where this pedagogical practice simply becomes a tool for translation. The paper calls for the full embrace of all the communicative repertoires that bi/multilinguals bring to the classroom, to unlock the full potential of a true multilingual African classroom.

Keywords: Translanguaging, multilingualism, pedagogy, curriculum, equity, inclusion, Ubuntu Translanguaging.