Abstract
As the population of children living in immigrant and non-English speaking households continues to increase, children may
be placed in the position to serve as an interpreter for their parents (i.e., a language broker). Relatively few studies,
however, have obtained fathers’ reactions to their children serving as language brokers or explored the reasons why language
brokering is linked to positive and negative youth outcomes. We interviewed 25 Latino adolescents (14 girls, 11 boys) and
their parents (18 mothers, 11 fathers) using a semi-structured interview protocol. Interviews were digitally recorded and
then transcribed, and themes were coded from the transcripts. When describing positive feelings associated with language brokering,
parents and youth talked about children helping the family and the benefit of speaking two languages. When youth shared negative
feelings, they talked about difficulties when words were complex and beyond their own English/Spanish language abilities.
Children seemed to find language brokering experiences in health-related settings particularly difficult. Our findings begin
to shed light on a relatively unexplored area of language brokering thereby highlighting a need for more studies examining
youth’s understanding about the material being translated. Moreover, the relational aspect of language brokering within the
family also merits further study given that for some families language brokering is a “shared” parent–child experience.
be placed in the position to serve as an interpreter for their parents (i.e., a language broker). Relatively few studies,
however, have obtained fathers’ reactions to their children serving as language brokers or explored the reasons why language
brokering is linked to positive and negative youth outcomes. We interviewed 25 Latino adolescents (14 girls, 11 boys) and
their parents (18 mothers, 11 fathers) using a semi-structured interview protocol. Interviews were digitally recorded and
then transcribed, and themes were coded from the transcripts. When describing positive feelings associated with language brokering,
parents and youth talked about children helping the family and the benefit of speaking two languages. When youth shared negative
feelings, they talked about difficulties when words were complex and beyond their own English/Spanish language abilities.
Children seemed to find language brokering experiences in health-related settings particularly difficult. Our findings begin
to shed light on a relatively unexplored area of language brokering thereby highlighting a need for more studies examining
youth’s understanding about the material being translated. Moreover, the relational aspect of language brokering within the
family also merits further study given that for some families language brokering is a “shared” parent–child experience.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s10826-011-9536-2
- Authors
- Rosalie Corona, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
- Lillian F. Stevens, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
- Raquel W. Halfond, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
- Carla M. Shaffer, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
- Kathryn Reid-Quiñones, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
- Tanya Gonzalez, City of Richmond, Hispanic Liaison Office, Richmond, VA 23224, USA
- Journal Journal of Child and Family Studies
- Online ISSN 1573-2843
- Print ISSN 1062-1024