Integrating Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies With Social Justice Language Education: Insights From a Field‐Based English Teacher Education Course

ABSTRACT This study examines the integration of culturally sustaining pedagogies (CSP) and social justice language education (SJLE) in an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) methods course at a leading Chinese university. Using a qualitative case study approach, it analyzes participant interviews, reflective journals, lesson plans, classroom observations, and course evaluations to explore how preservice teachers navigate linguistic and cultural complexity, adopt a translanguaging stance, and confront sociopolitical constraints. Thematic analysis reveals that mentorship, reflective inquiry, and curricular flexibility help counter institutional barriers, fostering socially just pedagogical practice. Findings demonstrate the potential of CSP to reframe EFL teacher education around inclusivity, cultural relevance, and linguistic equity, challenging monolingual norms and standardized assessment pressure. The study calls for curricular reform, collaborative learning communities, and sustained professional development to support equity‐driven, multilingual education in restrictive policy contexts.