Scaffolding Across Languages: Educational Interpreters as Cognitive Mediators in Multilingual Classrooms

Abstract

This study reconceptualizes educational interpreters as cognitive mediators who provide instructional scaffolding in multilingual classroom settings. Drawing on Vygotsky’s theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and the scaffolding framework developed by Wood, Bruner, and Ross, the paper examines how interpreters go beyond linguistic mediation to support learning in real-time educational interactions. Using qualitative data from a Sino-Korean joint master’s program where Chinese-English interpreting facilitated Korean-taught economics lectures, the study identifies interpreter interventions that align with key scaffolding strategies: simplifying content, clarifying abstract concepts, managing classroom interaction, and adapting culturally sensitive information. These practices enable students to access disciplinary knowledge that might otherwise remain out of reach due to language and cognitive barriers. The findings challenge traditional notions of interpreter neutrality by foregrounding their pedagogical agency and suggest that interpreter training in educational contexts should integrate scaffolding awareness to better align interpreting with instructional goals.