This paper explains how sociocultural theory (SCT), particularly its threekey concepts: mediation, zone of proximal development, and agency, canbe used to guide the course design of college-level 1st-year MandarinChinese hybrid courses. Specific examples are illustrated to demonstratehow three aspects of the hybrid course design: 1) learning materials andtasks, 2) teacher-student and student-student interaction, and 3)assessments, are guided from a SCT perspective. The feedback fromstudents enrolled in a college-level hybrid Mandarin Chinese coursesequence is also provided.