Exploring conceptual understanding in teacher–student mediation in a Spanish as a foreign language classroom in China: A translanguaging perspective

Previous research on translanguaging in classrooms for a language other than English (LOTE) has shown that it helps learners compensate for limited language proficiency. Few studies have investigated how translanguaging promotes learners’ conceptual understanding of the target language. This study aims to investigate how a Chinese teacher mediates conceptual understanding of the target language among 15 Spanish major undergraduates in a Chinese university through pedagogical translanguaging. Data were collected from classroom observations, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. Microgenesis of the discourse reveals that teacher–student mediation through pedagogical translanguaging facilitates students’ conceptual understanding of Spanish linguistic and cultural knowledge, enhances metalinguistic awareness, and promotes self-regulation. Translanguaging space built up in classroom interaction fosters collaborative dialogue, creating inclusive learning environments. This study may illuminate how multilingual teachers leverage diverse linguistic and sociocultural knowledge to assist students in conceptualizing and internalizing target language form and meaning through translanguaging in LOTE education.