Translanguaging has gained prominence as a pedagogical orientation that promises to promote the rights of minoritized migrant students by valuing pre-existing multilingualisms and identities. However, the effects of classroom translanguaging on teacher and student outlooks and relations of inequality are far from universal. In this paper we consider translanguaging in English language teaching in Brazil, a context in which multilingualism is often tied to social and racial closure. We show how English teachers position themselves and students in relation to translanguaging, drawing on analysis of stance-taking in online discussions. We find limited support for a transformative role played by current translingual practices, despite contributions to the establishment of affective bonds with students. We then examine a polemic over localized usages of English that casts light on how teachers do position themselves critically and opens up space for the development of critical language awareness. We argue that teacher outlooks are shaped by the changing status of English in the global south, and by unequal patterns of access to English in public, private, and commercial education settings.