<p>This qualitative study investigates a postcolonial educational setting where translanguaging pedagogy remains under-researched despite its prevalence. It specifically examined how three Moroccan science teachers leveraged the pedagogical potential of spontaneous translanguaging and highlighted its different beneficial functions in French-medium instruction (FMI) science classrooms. Using Abductive Thematic Analysis (ATA), the results were both informed by translanguaging theory and grounded in empirical observations. Accordingly, the study identified six major themes, capturing functional roles of spontaneous translanguaging. The results showed that spontaneous translanguaging was used pedagogically to construct scientific knowledge and maintain the continuity of the teaching-learning process. However, despite its immense potential for creating an anxiety-free learning environment, the study found that translanguaging was not leveraged for deep conceptual reasoning, and its proclaimed power in ‘erasing’ student silence remained limited. The study contributes to the current debate in international scholarship about the presumed benefits of implementing translanguaging as a pedagogy, especially in science classrooms. The paper discusses implications for science education, teacher education, and language-in-education policy.</p>