Bridging the Linguistic Gap: Teaching English with Telugu Transliteration

Abstract

The study examines the impact of the mother tongue Telugu on English reading ability and evaluates the efficacy of employing transliteration as a pedagogical intervention in high school students in Andhra Pradesh. Based on translanguaging principles and theory of second language acquisition, the study employs a mixed-methods design to evaluate how English sentences in Telugu script can contribute towards enhancing pronunciation, decoding, and understanding. Fifty Telugu-speaking students from rural and urban settings underwent pre- and post-intervention tests, complemented by surveys and classroom observations. The results indicate marked improvement in reading fluency and confidence following the transliteration intervention, with students demonstrating high adaptability and interest. The research asserts that transliteration is an adequate transitional scaffold diminishing phonological obstructions and inspiring learner motivation in favour of it being used across bilingual English education strategies, particularly in linguistically diverse and exposure-low contexts.