Pedagogical translation for reading comprehension in mixed HL-L2 secondary classrooms

This exploratory, mixed methods study proposes that pedagogical translation be implemented for biliteracy acquisition in mixed heritage language (HL)-second language (L2) secondary Spanish classrooms. It investigates the mediation of pedagogical translation for reading comprehension in two mixed HL-L2 secondary Spanish classrooms at a suburban high school in the southwestern United States. The research question, How does pedagogical translation influence reading comprehension in a mixed HL-L2 secondary Spanish classroom is addressed in this work. Findings indicated that through a pedagogical translation activity, heritage language learners (HLLs) and second language learners (L2Ls) demonstrated metalinguistic awareness and vocabulary learning, which are indicators of reading comprehension. Differing HLL and L2L learning approaches during the activities are discussed, followed by pedagogical and research implications.