Paper Short Abstract:

This ethnographic case study explores how spatial dynamics, mobility, and translanguaging practices in a Chinese heritage school in Scotland shape students’ identity negotiation and learning. By unwriting fixed hierarchies of language, it fosters inclusivity and reimagines classroom spaces.

Paper Abstract:

This ethnographic case study examines how space, identity, and languages intersect in the context of a Chinese heritage school in Scotland. Chinese heritage language schools play a vital role in bridging the gap between Chinese culture and the broader host society, supporting students in navigating multiple ways of understanding, expressing, and engaging with the world. The study investigates how a physical, fixed, and static classroom environment transforms into an open, dynamic and flexible translanguaging space, where multilingual students negotiate identities shaped by global mobility and shifting linguistic, cultural, and ideological landscapes. Drawing on Lefebvre’s (1991) triadic theory of space and Li Wei’s (2011) translanguaging space framework, this research highlights the interplay of physical, conceived, and lived spaces in fostering identity negotiation and performance. This multifaceted approach captures students’ perceptions of physical space (e.g., classroom layout), conceived space (e.g., policies, grades, and teaching materials), and lived space (e.g., everyday social interactions). Through this spatial perspective, the study explores how students employ multiple language varieties (e.g., English and Chinese) and modes of communication (writing, speaking), and how their cognitive knowledge, personal backgrounds, cultural experiences, beliefs, ideologies, and attitudes shape the negotiation of meaning, power dynamics, and identities. By emphasizing the significance of spatial dynamics, this research contributes to unwriting fixed hierarchies of language and knowledge while shedding light on innovative approaches to rethinking classroom spaces and educational practices, ultimately advocating for equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for all.