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Program Development
Research Topics:
Beyond Translation: Mitigating Negative Impacts of Child Language Brokering
The Beyond Translation: Mitigating Negative Impacts of Child Language Brokering program (BT for short) branches from previous research conducted at TCIR on child language brokering (CLB) - a common occurrence among immigrant families where children help their parents understand information in medical, legal, school, and retail settings by translating or interpreting for them. This previous work showed that children can experience psychological, social, and emotional distress when shouldering the responsibility of an interpreter and translator, including feelings of shame and hesitancy when asking for support (see Kassan et al., 2024). However, some identified factors in helping mitigate these negative outcomes included having a better parent-child relationship, accepting or normalizing CLB responsibilities, and accessing supports. It is these factors that BT has prioritized to provide expanded programming for families, parents, youth, and practitioners.
Project Description
What is the Beyond Translation program?
Funded by Family & Community Support Services (FCSS) under the City of Calgary, BT offers various programming to reduce the negative outcomes of CLB and promote its positive impacts, such as strengthening family relationships (Weisskirch, 2013) and building confidence in young language brokers (Niehaus & Kumpiene, 2014). BT provides tailored workshops for families and practitioners, as well as separate support groups for parents and youth. All programming is supplemented by various qualitative and quantitative measures to track and assess its impact and success.
What are the aims of BT?
BT aims to:
- Raise awareness of CLB among families and practitioners
- Mitigate the negative impacts of CLB on the well-being of child language brokers and their family relationships
Why is this important?
Between 2016 and 2021, over 1.3 million individuals settled in Canada, with Alberta among the top destinations. As a result, Alberta is becoming more linguistically diverse, with newcomer families facing considerable challenges as they navigate life in predominantly English-speaking provinces. The absence of adequate support systems, including a lack of translation services, further exacerbates these challenges, making the adjustment process more daunting and isolating. This leads newcomer parents and guardians to rely on their children’s linguistic and cultural mediation for integration, highlighting the importance of targeted support and programs for newcomer families involved in CLB.
Previous research shows that the burden of acting as a broker for one’s parents can lead to negative effects on psychological and emotional well-being development (Alvarez, 2017; Dorner et al., 2007; Love & Buriel, 2007; Morales et al., 2012; Tse, 1995) as well as strained family dynamics (Umaña-Taylor, 2003). This issue highlights a significant service gap: structured support for young child language brokers and their families is sparse, especially in Calgary, where CLB remains underexplored and underfunded. With its rapidly changing demographic landscape, increased linguistic diversity, and the relative scarcity of established ethnocultural support communities, Calgary’s unique position amplifies the need for specialized services. Therefore, many newcomer families would benefit from programming that provides comprehensive support for their CLB needs.
By acknowledging the crucial role these young individuals play within their families and the broader community, BT seeks to alleviate the pressures associated with CLB through educational, emotional, and social support services tailored to the unique needs of newcomer families in Alberta. This program not only enhances the acculturation process but also contributes to the overall well-being and integration of newcomer families into Canadian society. BT also engages professionals in the settlement and health sectors: the settlement sector because it faces CLB situations daily, and the health sector because it is heavily underfunded for interpretation services. Through targeted support, educational resources, and community-building activities, BT fills a critical void, fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment for all newcomer families engaged in the complex process of acculturation and linguistic transition.
Programming Details
Family Workshops
Aims to introduce CLB and provide tips and strategies for navigating it over the course of three two-hour workshops. It includes the following:
- Empathy training to foster understanding among family members,
- Strategies for communicating emotions and strengthening teamwork skills within families,
- Role-playing scenarios to further facilitate empathy and practice different CLB situations,
- Resources related to interpretation,
- Activities focused on developing self-advocacy skills, and
- Mindfulness practices to reduce stress and promote wellbeing
Parent Peer Support Groups
Offered alongside the family workshop and led by a registered social worker, these support groups aim to foster a community and provide tips and resources for parents experiencing CLB. These resources aim to help parents empower their children and build stronger family connections.
Youth Peer Support Groups
Offered alongside the family workshop to provide youth language brokers with a safe and supportive space to share their experiences, build social connections, and find a sense of belonging. When youth do not have school, we offer volunteer days and summer camps to help them bond, gain skills, and enjoy themselves.
Practitioner Workshops
Three-hour workshops are offered separately to healthcare practitioners and settlement workers for tailored information on CLB. This includes:
- Information on the psychosocial impacts of CLB on children and their families,
- Tips and strategies to navigate CLB in a professional capacity,
- Sharing resources for available interpreting services and cultural brokering, and
- Role-playing to create a sense of empathy for the families.
Learn More About our Program's Impacts
2- Beyond Translation Family Findings
3- Beyond Translation Practitioner Findings
In the Media
- Day Camp for Young Translators: Helping Children of Newcomers Find the Words
- TIES Child Language Brokering: Voices Unveiled
- ‘Child language brokers’ focus of day camp offered by Calgary Immigrant Education Society
References
Alvarez, S. (2017). Brokering literacies: Child language brokering in Mexican immigrant families. Community Literacy Journal, 11(2), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.25148/clj.11.2.009116
Dorner, L. M., Orellana, M. F., & Li-Grining, C. P. (2007). “I helped my mom,” and it helped me: Translating the skills of language brokers into improved standardized test scores. American Journal of Education, 113(3). https://doi.org/10.1086/512740
Kassan, A., Palova, K., & Silverside, H. (Eds.). (2024). Beyond translation: Exploring child language brokering in Alberta’s culturally diverse landscape. University of Calgary.
Love, J. A., & Buriel, R. (2007). Language brokering, autonomy, parent-child bonding, biculturalism, and depression: A study of Mexican American adolescents from immigrant families. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 29(4), 472-491. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986307307229
Morales, A., Yakushko, O. F., & Castro, A. J. (2012). Language brokering among Mexican-immigrant families in the Midwest: A multiple case study. The Counseling Psychologist, 40(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000011417312
Niehaus, K., & Kumpiene, G. (2014). Language brokering and self-concept: An exploratory study of Latino students’ experiences in middle and high school. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 36(2), 124-143. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0739986314524166
Tse, L. (1995). Language brokering among Latino adolescents: Prevalence, attitudes, and school performance. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 17(2), 180–193. https://doi.org/10.1177/07399863950172003
Weisskirch, R. S. (2013). Family relationships, self-esteem, and self-efficacy among language brokering Mexican American emerging adults. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22(8), 1147-1155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9678-x
