June 2019 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 7
When children have to translate for their parents
By JENNIFER COLTON
Not all parents in Eastern Oregon
speak English. Many may be try-
ing to learn the language; English-
learning programs at Blue Mountain
Community College and with local
organizations often fill quickly. But
when parents don’t speak English
well, they may turn to their closest
interpreters: their children. For chil-
dren, the acculturation is easier as
they attend schools with peers who
already speak the native language
and know the cultural nuances.
Loretta Fitterer, English Language
Newcomers teacher for the Herm-
iston School District, says she has
seen children become more con-
fident because of their family role
as interpreter. “I’ve seen kids who
were very proud of how they were
able to help their parents,” Fitterer
says. “Oftentimes, it can be an affir-
mation to the child learning English.
It can also be an affirmation of their
worth within the family. However,
it can put them in situations they’re
not ready for, either developmen-
tally or language-wise.”
In behavior science, those chil-
dren are “language brokers,” and
studies and surveys show the ex-
perience enhances confidence and
gives children a sense of empow-
erment. That confidence can lead
children to perform better on tests
and to improve their self-esteem as
they feel useful and proud of their
abilities. The stress and obligation
can, however, overburden children
in complicated situations.
“It can put them in situations
they aren’t ready for,” Fitterer adds.
“Sometimes they can be asked to
translate above their language abil-
ity. They do their best, but some-
times they just don’t know the right
words or they don’t understand the
situation.”
Often that can be when trying
to translate for medical care or in
legal situations. In many cases, the
children are not only translating the
linguistic words, they’re translating
cultural nuances.
Families who don’t speak English
gravitate toward each other, so they
may not need English to socialize.
They may be able to buy groceries
or basic items without speaking
the language. But when it comes
to going to the doctor, dentist or
even the DMV, the language barrier
becomes an issue.
“We have always employed the
assistance of children of various
ages to help bridge the commu-
nication gap between DMV and
their parents at the counter when
necessary,” says Robin Peterson,
Field Services Training Coordina-
tor. “Usually we are asking them
to ask their parents questions like,
‘Do you need plates and stickers
or just stickers?’ or ‘When did you
purchase this vehicle?’ It can some-
times be difficult because a younger
child may have difficulty translat-
ing a complex word or process to
someone else if they don’t under-
stand what we are actually talking
about.”
DMV employees have used on-
line programs to translate questions
to and from English when the em-
ployee doesn’t speak the language,
although the Oregon DMV does
have staff who speak a number of
languages, from Arabic to Lithu-
anian, across its offices.
In Oregon, 62% of people with
Limited English Proficiency (LEP) —
those who speak another language
at home and speak English less than
“very well” — are Spanish speakers,
but another 7% speak Chinese, 7%
speak Vietnamese, and 20% speak
other languages.
Another impediment for families
is when people attempt to speak
to them in Spanish, but that isn’t
their native language. In Hermiston,
for example, educators and elected
officials say there is a Guatemalan
population who speak either no or
limited Spanish.
According to the U.S. Depart-
ment of Justice, in 2015 almost 9%
of the Umatilla County’s population
fell under LEP, including Chinese,
French and Polish; in Morrow Coun-
ty, the percentage was just under
15%, primarily Spanish. In a rural
area, it can be hard to find transla-
tors, especially if the language is
not one of the two most common.
In schools, children often serve
as language brokers for their par-
ents. In the medical setting, such
as local hospitals and healthcare
systems, patient rights include the
right to get information about care
in a preferred language. The Or-
egon Health Authority offers “pre-
ferred language cards” that people
with LEP can carry and show to
health care providers. OHA prohib-
its the use of children as interpret-
ers unless there is an emergency.
In a business setting, children
can translate at the cash register or
when looking for specific services.
Staff at multiple area businesses
say they may have staff that speaks
Spanish, but when it is another lan-
guage, they don’t mind kids helping
out.
Fitterer puts it simply: “Be aware
of a patient’s or client’s needs
and understand that they may not
always have someone to translate.
And when it is a child translating,
remember to not use such large
vocabulary that the child might not
know.”
________
Jennifer Colton is news director of
KOHU and KQFM, and mother of
three, based in Pendleton.