Young adult language brokers’ and teachers’ views of the advantages and disadvantages of brokering in school

Schools have been cited as some of the most frequent venues where children and young people act as language brokers. Respondents from both the two groups who were interviewed framed the advantages and disadvantages according to what they thought language brokering had offered in terms of efficiency and parental preferences. The literature on child language brokering presents a mixed picture with respect to the impacts it may have on social and emotional development. Acting as a translator for others puts a person’s language proficiency and social skills on display. The social dynamics of a school community operate in complex ways for those who accept a role that cuts across the usual networks. The chapter examines how key stakeholders viewed the impact that engagement in child language brokering activities has on a young person’s identity and social development. It also examines what participants had to say about the longer-term impact of experiences of language brokering at school.