Negotiating Linguistic and Epistemic Agency: A Systematic Review of Translingual Practices among Indigenous Tertiary Students in the Philippines
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32493/ljlal.v8i2.61684Keywords:
Epistemic agency, Indigenous students, Linguistic agency, Translanguaging, Translingual practicesAbstract
Translanguaging has received extensive scholarly attention, yet few syntheses have focused on Indigenous students in Philippine higher education. This systematic review examined how Indigenous tertiary students employ translingual practices, how these practices support linguistic and epistemic agency, and what institutional or affective conditions enable or constrain them. Guided by the SPIDER framework, the review synthesized 12 qualitative or qualitative-dominant peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025. Data were organized through a structured extraction matrix and analyzed thematically. The findings indicated that students strategically mobilized their mother tongues, regional languages, English, and other semiotic resources to scaffold comprehension, participate in classroom discourse, and connect academic content with Indigenous knowledge. These practices extended beyond code-switching because they enabled identity assertion and the legitimation of community-based ways of knowing. However, agency was constrained by monolingual ideologies, policy-practice gaps, limited teacher preparation and resources, restrictive assessment norms, and language-related shame or insecurity. Supportive teacher beliefs and multilingual pedagogies strengthened students’ confidence and participation. The review underscores the need for culturally responsive tertiary pedagogy, community-based multilingual materials, and institutional policies that recognize Indigenous languages as legitimate resources for academic meaning-making.
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