In the service of surveillance: Immigrant child language brokers in parent-teacher conferences

Abstract This study explores the “who, what, where, and how” of language brokering as performed by young adults. Given that the backgrounds of child language brokers merge with the socialization processes that encompass early adulthood, their potentially unique experiences may reveal valuable information about language brokering that can contribute to the advancement of academic, professional, and educational endeavors. This study examines the ontological narratives of 21 college-age language brokers in the United States to illustrate if and how their insights expand the limits of traditional views of interpreter-mediated interaction (e.g., in terms of settings, communication channels, degree of active participation).

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Interpreting Service: Educating Child Language Brokers through Service-Learning

Heritage Language Journal ◽

10.46538/hlj.13.3.7 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 434-453

Author(s):

Julia Sandler

Keyword(s):

Service Learning ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Child Language ◽

Language Brokering ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Heritage Speakers ◽

Academic Benefits ◽

Local Schools ◽

Language Brokers ◽

Professional Interpreting

How might a service-learning course help child language brokers (Tse, 1996) minimize negative effects and maximize the cognitive and academic benefits of language brokering? This question is answered with data from an ethnographic case study of a high school service-learning course in translation and interpreting. Heritage speakers of Spanish and less commonly taught languages serve as volunteer interpreters at local schools while learning the skills, habits and ethics of professional interpreting in this course. The theoretical lens of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977; 2006) is used to analyze how this curriculum affects students. This article also contributes to evolving definitions of service-learning for heritage language speakers, arguing that language brokering that students do for their families and communities should be seen as a pre-existing “service” that can be utilized in the prepare-act-reflect cycle of service-learning. Analysis of the data shows that this cycle is key to supporting students in building the confidence and skills to pursue careers in professional interpreting and helping them manage their family interpreting experiences. Students demonstrated increased self-efficacy perceptions in terms of interpreting, academic achievement and general life events, although the role that service-learning played in the latter two outcomes is still unclear.

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Shifting in the Zone: Latina/o Child Language Brokers and the Co-construction of Knowledge

Ethos ◽

10.1111/j.1548-1352.2012.01246.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 196-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

H. Julia Eksner ◽

Marjorie Faulstich Orellana

Keyword(s):

Child Language ◽

Construction Of Knowledge ◽

Language Brokers

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Using children as informal interpreters in pediatric consultations

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare ◽

10.1108/ijhrh-07-2013-0009 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 132-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bethany R Russell ◽

Alejandro Morales ◽

Russell D Ravert

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Cultural Awareness ◽

Medical Information ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Child Language ◽

Further Education ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Content Type ◽

Language Brokers

Purpose – Health care professionals (HCPs) face numerous barriers in providing services to limited English proficient (LEP) patients and their families. The purpose of this paper is to explore and expand on the limited scholarship concerning HCPs’ experiences using children as informal interpreters in pediatric consultations. Design/methodology/approach – Ten HCPs from five different fields participated in this study. They were interviewed over the phone and replied to follow-up correspondence about their knowledge on policies for communicating with LEP patients and/or their families when providing medical care. Findings – Using a thematic analysis five themes emerged across all cases: cultural awareness, communication quality, live interpreters as a solution, use of child language brokers (CLBs), and the norm of child language brokering. Through the development of the aforementioned themes, HCPs’ limited awareness of implications when using CLBs and of the established policies related to this phenomenon were apparent. Originality/value – This lack of knowledge, acknowledged by HCPs, provides a platform from which to create awareness of the need for further education about the potential risks CLBs face when interpreting medical information and of the negative impact this process can have on the overall medical outcome of a patient. Furthermore, it allows the authors to address the ignorance within the health care system that has allowed vulnerabilities to LEP individuals being treated in health care facilities.

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