Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Child Language Brokers: How Young and In What Situations?

Many immigrant parents rely on their children to help them communicate as ad hoc interpreters in a variety of settings and under many conditions. Child "language brokers" transmit not only linguistic information; they also identify nuances in cultures, mediating to convey each party's tone and sentiment within the context of cultural norms. Some practitioners are raising concerns over the implications of young children language brokering in sensitive or stressful situations, such as in medical settings.