reverted:
--- b/core/modules/hal/src/Normalizer/ContentEntityNormalizer.php
+++ a/core/modules/hal/src/Normalizer/ContentEntityNormalizer.php
@@ -146,6 +146,8 @@
           break;
         }
       }
+      // Remove the default langcode so it does not get iterated over below.
+      unset($data[$default_langcode_key]);
     }
 
     if ($entity_type->hasKey('bundle')) {
reverted:
--- b/core/modules/hal/src/Normalizer/FieldItemNormalizer.php
+++ a/core/modules/hal/src/Normalizer/FieldItemNormalizer.php
@@ -2,9 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\hal\Normalizer;
 
-use Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableEntityInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemInterface;
-use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldStorageDefinitionInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\TypedData\TypedDataInternalPropertiesHelper;
 use Drupal\serialization\Normalizer\FieldableEntityNormalizerTrait;
 use Drupal\serialization\Normalizer\SerializedColumnNormalizerTrait;
@@ -122,43 +120,9 @@
 
     // Instead, create a new item for the entity in the requested language.
     $entity = $item->getEntity();
+    $entity_translation = $entity->hasTranslation($langcode) ? $entity->getTranslation($langcode) : $entity->addTranslation($langcode);
-    // Get the translated entity, or create it if it does not exist.
-    $entity_translation = $entity->hasTranslation($langcode) ? $entity->getTranslation($langcode) : $this->createTranslatedEntity($entity, $langcode);
     $field_name = $item->getFieldDefinition()->getName();
+    return $entity_translation->get($field_name)->appendItem();
-    $field = $entity_translation->get($field_name);
-    $cardinality = $item->getFieldDefinition()->getFieldStorageDefinition()->getCardinality();
-    if ($cardinality === FieldStorageDefinitionInterface::CARDINALITY_UNLIMITED || count($field) < $cardinality) {
-      return $field->appendItem();
-    }
-    return $field->first();
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Create an empty entity translation to fill with field data.
-   *
-   * @param \Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableEntityInterface $entity
-   *   The untranslated entity.
-   * @param string $langcode
-   *   The langcode.
-   *
-   * @return \Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableEntityInterface
-   *   The translated entity.
-   *
-   * @throws \Drupal\Core\TypedData\Exception\ReadOnlyException
-   */
-  protected function createTranslatedEntity(FieldableEntityInterface $entity, $langcode) {
-    // Create a new translation.
-    /** @var \Drupal\Core\TypedData\TranslatableInterface $entity */
-    /** @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableEntityInterface $entity_translation */
-    $entity_translation = $entity->addTranslation($langcode);
-
-    // Remove all default values, except for the langcode.
-    $translated_fields = $entity_translation->getTranslatableFields(FALSE);
-    unset($translated_fields['langcode']);
-    foreach ($translated_fields as $field) {
-      $field->setValue([]);
-    }
-    return $entity_translation;
   }
 
   /**
reverted:
--- b/core/modules/hal/tests/src/Kernel/TranslationNormalizeTest.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-namespace Drupal\Tests\hal\Kernel;
-
-use Drupal\entity_test\Entity\EntityTestMulChanged;
-
-/**
- * Test normalizing and denormalizing an entity with a translation.
- *
- * @group hal
- */
-class TranslationNormalizeTest extends NormalizerTestBase {
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  protected $entityClass = 'Drupal\entity_test\Entity\EntityTestMulChanged';
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  protected function setUp(): void {
-    parent::setUp();
-    $this->installEntitySchema('entity_test_mul_changed');
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Tests normalizing and denormalizing an entity.
-   */
-  public function testTranslationNormalize() {
-    $target_entity = EntityTestMulChanged::create((['langcode' => 'en', 'field_test_entity_reference' => NULL]));
-    $target_entity->save();
-
-    $target_entity->addTranslation('de', $target_entity->toArray());
-
-    $this->assertEquals(1, count($target_entity->changed));
-    $this->assertEquals(1, count($target_entity->getTranslation('en')->changed));
-    $this->assertEquals(1, count($target_entity->getTranslation('de')->changed));
-
-    $data = $this->serializer->normalize($target_entity, 'hal_json');
-    $denormalized_entity = $this->serializer->denormalize($data, $this->entityClass, 'hal_json');
-
-    $this->assertEquals(1, count($denormalized_entity->changed));
-    $this->assertEquals(1, count($target_entity->getTranslation('en')->changed));
-    $this->assertEquals(1, count($denormalized_entity->getTranslation('de')->changed));
-  }
-
-}
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/src/Normalizer/ContentEntityNormalizer.php
+++ b/src/Normalizer/ContentEntityNormalizer.php
@@ -146,8 +146,6 @@ class ContentEntityNormalizer extends NormalizerBase {
           break;
         }
       }
-      // Remove the default langcode so it does not get iterated over below.
-      unset($data[$default_langcode_key]);
     }
 
     if ($entity_type->hasKey('bundle')) {
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/src/Normalizer/FieldItemNormalizer.php
+++ b/src/Normalizer/FieldItemNormalizer.php
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\hal\Normalizer;
 
+use Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableEntityInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldItemInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Field\FieldStorageDefinitionInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\TypedData\TypedDataInternalPropertiesHelper;
 use Drupal\serialization\Normalizer\FieldableEntityNormalizerTrait;
 use Drupal\serialization\Normalizer\SerializedColumnNormalizerTrait;
@@ -120,9 +122,43 @@ class FieldItemNormalizer extends NormalizerBase {
 
     // Instead, create a new item for the entity in the requested language.
     $entity = $item->getEntity();
-    $entity_translation = $entity->hasTranslation($langcode) ? $entity->getTranslation($langcode) : $entity->addTranslation($langcode);
+    // Get the translated entity, or create it if it does not exist.
+    $entity_translation = $entity->hasTranslation($langcode) ? $entity->getTranslation($langcode) : $this->createTranslatedEntity($entity, $langcode);
     $field_name = $item->getFieldDefinition()->getName();
-    return $entity_translation->get($field_name)->appendItem();
+    $field = $entity_translation->get($field_name);
+    $cardinality = $item->getFieldDefinition()->getFieldStorageDefinition()->getCardinality();
+    if ($cardinality === FieldStorageDefinitionInterface::CARDINALITY_UNLIMITED || count($field) < $cardinality) {
+      return $field->appendItem();
+    }
+    return $field->first();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Create an empty entity translation to fill with field data.
+   *
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableEntityInterface $entity
+   *   The untranslated entity.
+   * @param string $langcode
+   *   The langcode.
+   *
+   * @return \Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableEntityInterface
+   *   The translated entity.
+   *
+   * @throws \Drupal\Core\TypedData\Exception\ReadOnlyException
+   */
+  protected function createTranslatedEntity(FieldableEntityInterface $entity, $langcode) {
+    // Create a new translation.
+    /** @var \Drupal\Core\TypedData\TranslatableInterface $entity */
+    /** @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\FieldableEntityInterface $entity_translation */
+    $entity_translation = $entity->addTranslation($langcode);
+
+    // Remove all default values, except for the langcode.
+    $translated_fields = $entity_translation->getTranslatableFields(FALSE);
+    unset($translated_fields['langcode']);
+    foreach ($translated_fields as $field) {
+      $field->setValue([]);
+    }
+    return $entity_translation;
   }
 
   /**
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/Kernel/TranslationNormalizeTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Drupal\Tests\hal\Kernel;
+
+use Drupal\entity_test\Entity\EntityTestMulChanged;
+
+/**
+ * Test normalizing and denormalizing an entity with a translation.
+ *
+ * @group hal
+ */
+class TranslationNormalizeTest extends NormalizerTestBase {
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected $entityClass = 'Drupal\entity_test\Entity\EntityTestMulChanged';
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setUp(): void {
+    parent::setUp();
+    $this->installEntitySchema('entity_test_mul_changed');
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Tests normalizing and denormalizing an entity.
+   */
+  public function testTranslationNormalize() {
+    $target_entity = EntityTestMulChanged::create((['langcode' => 'en', 'field_test_entity_reference' => NULL]));
+    $target_entity->save();
+
+    $target_entity->addTranslation('de', $target_entity->toArray());
+
+    $this->assertEquals(1, count($target_entity->changed));
+    $this->assertEquals(1, count($target_entity->getTranslation('en')->changed));
+    $this->assertEquals(1, count($target_entity->getTranslation('de')->changed));
+
+    $data = $this->serializer->normalize($target_entity, 'hal_json');
+    $denormalized_entity = $this->serializer->denormalize($data, $this->entityClass, 'hal_json');
+
+    $this->assertEquals(1, count($denormalized_entity->changed));
+    $this->assertEquals(1, count($target_entity->getTranslation('en')->changed));
+    $this->assertEquals(1, count($denormalized_entity->getTranslation('de')->changed));
+  }
+
+}