Rising Interest in Spanish Language and Culture in China Spurs Innovative Learning Methods Like Reggaeton Song Translations, UPF Study Finds

A groundbreaking study conducted by Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) unveils a captivating and little-explored phenomenon within the Chinese community’s informal language learning practices: the translation of Spanish-language songs, predominantly reggaeton, into Chinese on NECM (NetEase Cloud Music), one of China’s leading music streaming platforms. This digital space not only facilitates music enjoyment but has evolved into an interactive platform where non-professional translators—avid fans of Spanish and Latin music—collaborate, share, and critique their translations, creating a unique intercultural dialogue that stresses cultural nuance and linguistic creativity.

This phenomenon has attracted scholarly attention due to its blend of language acquisition, intercultural communication, and identity construction. The research, spearheaded by Li Yuan-Cloris from UPF’s Department of Translation and Language Sciences and overseen by Daniel Cassany, head of the Language Learning and Teaching research group (GR@EL), is the outcome of intensive content and discourse analysis. By examining translations and the community’s extensive back-and-forth on the platform, the study sheds light on how informal digital environments can supplement formal language education, especially in contexts where such resources are scarce.

The demographic backdrop emphasizes a noteworthy rise in Chinese students at UPF, with the number tripling over the past five years in the Translation and Language Sciences department. Many pursue advanced degrees, particularly the master’s program focusing on translation between Chinese and Spanish, reflecting growing academic and cultural interest. More broadly, UPF has witnessed a 32% increase in Chinese students across its disciplines, numbering 275 individuals, highlighting a burgeoning Asian cultural presence within Spain’s academic landscape.

Critically, the study identifies a significant gap in formal Spanish language education within China, where English dominates as the primary foreign language. This educational scarcity has propelled learners toward informal, digital avenues such as music translation communities, where learning is embedded in recreational, socially interactive practices. By engaging with Hispanic music, learners not only enhance their linguistic skills but also cultivate deep cultural and emotional connections, helping Spanish to become more accessible and appealing.

Focusing sharply on two pseudonymous fan translators on NECM, the study explores their impact and methodologies. One of the translators, Benito, commands an impressive following of 1,300 users, with his translated songs amassing over two million views. Lia, his counterpart, maintains around 800 subscribers. Together, their collective body of work—comprising sixty songs across reggaeton, ballads, pop, and trap—form the data corpus for this research. The extensive analysis also includes nearly 500 user-generated comments, providing a rich context for understanding audience interaction and reception.

One of the most compelling findings relates to the translators’ extensive use of intercultural mediation strategies designed to bridge cultural gaps between Hispanic and Chinese audiences. The songs examined contain 183 distinct cultural specificity items (CSI)—terms or concepts embedded deeply in Hispanic culture without direct equivalents in Chinese. This necessitates creative translation strategies that adapt rather than merely transcribe meaning, enhancing cross-cultural comprehension while respecting the source culture.

Foremost among these strategies is domestication, applied in 68% of cases. This approach involves replacing Hispanic culture-specific terms with culturally analogous expressions from the Chinese cultural imagination. To illustrate, the Spanish phrase “get stood up” is rendered into the Chinese expression “放鸽子” (literally “release the dove”), a metaphor deeply embedded in Chinese cultural symbolism relating to broken promises. Such a translation reflects a nuanced understanding of how cultural connotations operate differently across linguistic boundaries.

Another pivotal technique involves the strategic use of euphemisms, particularly to navigate sensitive or censored content. Sexual references, numbering thirty-four in the source material, were consistently transformed into Chinese euphemisms or less explicit alternatives. This method respects the sociopolitical context of China, where explicit sexual content often triggers censorship, thereby enabling the translations to circulate widely without suppression. Terms equivalent to coarse English expressions like “f*ck” are delicately substituted with more socially acceptable phrases such as 占有 (possess) or 交欢 (exchange pleasure).

The research also highlights innovative spelling techniques adopted by translators to circumvent content moderation algorithms. An example is the compound rendering of the Spanish word “caliente” (meaning “horny” or “hot”) by combining Chinese words for “sexy” (性感) and “hot” (火辣). To avoid detection by automated censorship systems, the characters are interspersed with asterisks (性感/火辣), exploiting particular orthographic conventions unique to Chinese, where words typically run together without spaces. This disruption foils algorithmic pattern recognition, enabling the sensitive content to pass as innocuous to monitoring systems.

Beyond linguistic strategies, translators actively enrich their work with paratexts—annotations and comments that contextualize cultural elements for their Chinese audience. Such metadata accompanies the main translated text and serves as an educational tool that facilitates deeper intercultural understanding. By elaborating on cultural references, idiomatic expressions, and relevant social customs, these annotations foster not only linguistic transfer but also cultural literacy within the target community.

Perhaps most strikingly, this informal translation practice embodies a powerful identity construction process for the translators themselves. The platform engagement grants them not only an opportunity to refine multilingual competence—spanning advanced Spanish and Chinese use with intermediate English mediation—but also social recognition and influence. Their growing follower bases underscore an emotional and social dimension to their work, where self-expression, community belonging, and cultural ambassadorship converge, asserting the transformative potential of fan-driven digital interactions.

Li Yuan-Cloris underscores the educational implications of these findings, advocating for language teaching professionals to incorporate and encourage such informal translation endeavors within formal curricula. These activities enhance learner autonomy, motivate engagement through culturally relevant content, and cultivate sophisticated skills in intercultural mediation—all critical for navigating an increasingly global and multilingual world. Their intrinsic value lies not only in language acquisition but also in nurturing empathy, creativity, and cross-cultural dialogue.

This study inaugurates a promising research trajectory into the intersections of informal digital practices, fan culture, and language learning. It highlights how new media platforms are reshaping traditional boundaries between professional and non-professional linguistic activity, offering fertile grounds for linguistic innovation and cultural exchange. The practice of translating Hispanic music into Chinese emerges as a vibrant site of transnational communication, fostering a dynamic community where language learning transcends institutional confines and becomes a shared cultural project.

In summary, UPF’s research elucidates the sophisticated ways in which Chinese fans engage in the cultural and linguistic mediation of Spanish-language songs, utilizing creative translation methods to negotiate linguistic obstacles, censorship constraints, and cultural differences. This grassroots translation movement not only amplifies the reach of Hispanic music but positions informal digital participation as a potent agent in global language education and intercultural understanding. As digital fan communities continue to flourish, their pedagogical potential invites renewed attention from educators, researchers, and policy makers alike.

News Publication Date: 10 March 2025

Web References: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14708477.2025.2470300

References: Yuan-Cloris Li & Daniel Cassany. (10 March 2025). From ‘fuck’ to ‘possess’: intercultural mediation and identity construction in Chinese fan translations of Spanish-language songs. Language and Intercultural Communication. DOI: 10.1080/14708477.2025.2470300