“There is No Need for Translation: She Understands”: Teachers’ Mediation Strategies in a Bilingual Preschool Classroom

In this study, we explored how major theoretical principles and concepts in the mediation strategies of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory are realized in an Arabic−Hebrew preschool in Israel. The aim of this study was to examine how teachers encourage children to use their second language (L2) during teacher−child conversations. In particular, as a response to relatively low motivation for L2 (Arabic) use, the teachers’ mediation was intended to encourage children to use Arabic.The study participants were one Hebrew model teacher, one Arabic model teacher, and children using either Hebrew or Arabic as their first language (L1). We applied a thematic analysis as the methodological framework. Data were collected during one academic year, including video recordings of the teacher−child conversations, and were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The following content categories were extracted: explicit request for use of the L2, managing the children's demand for direct translation, the teacher as a model for the L2 learner, and contributions from language experts. The observation showed that the teachers applied diverse mediation strategies, such as scaffolding, identification of the child's zone of proximal development, and modeling. Avoidance of direct translation was intended to activate children's zone of proximal development and to boost their involvement in L2 learning.