Interpreter Training for Schools

In most schools there is some type of language access for LEP’s. Some have translated materials into Spanish or they might have bilingual staff, ESL teachers or teachers’ assistants. In many instances staff must be pulled from their regular duties to interpret for parents and students. They may not have the vocabulary used in school settings in the target language or have the various other skills necessary to be an effective interpreter.

In other cases, the schools depend on the child to act as an interpreter for their parents, since they can speak both languages. However, the children do not have the needed vocabulary in the target language to provide an adequate interpretation. Often, they skip the words they don’t know. The school staff doesn’t know what was said in Spanish.

As a result, neither the parents nor their child learns about the benefits and opportunities the school can offer, or whatever message that was trying to be communicated.

In either case, relying on an untrained bilingual speaker creates potential liability.

Developing an effective bilingual language access program for schools involves significant work on the part of school districts, but the challenge is not unattainable.

It is not sufficient for the staff merely to be bilingual. For example, a staff member who is bilingual may be able to communicate directly with LEP parents in a different language but may not be competent to interpret in and out of that language, or to translate documents. They need to know the terminology specific to schools, to special education students and terminology used in various kinds of meetings in both languages.

Aside from reading, writing, and speaking two languages, bilingual staff must learn listening techniques, consecutive and simultaneous interpretation techniques, sight translation techniques, delivery techniques for these modes of interpretation and note-taking, they need to know the ethics involved in all interpretations. They also need to know protocols observed in their school and school system.

Being bicultural

As an interpreter, you will be the cultural bridge between both parties. But what if you happen to be one of the recent immigrant teachers being brought to the U.S. from so many different countries? You already speak English (at some level), you may have worked in the schools in your country of origin, but the US is new to you, you have not lived here before. You will need to learn about American culture, particularly in the area you live. You will struggle with various American accents, idioms, customs, adages, and children who may have been raised very differently from those in your original classrooms. You may find the teenage culture here a total mystery from your own experience in another country.

Or, what if you are a 2nd or 3rd generation of Hispanic descent? The American culture is not an issue for you and neither is the school system of which you are a product; however, you don’t know or understand the many cultures of the recent immigrants (Spanish speakers from many countries); therefore, those are the cultures you will have to learn. Your Spanish may be quite different from the Spanish of the recent immigrants. As the interpreter, you will have to find a way to overcome these differences. Although the US Census calls us all Hispanics/Latinos, each of our home countries has a quite different culture, spoken language and accent.

Parents don’t know what to expect from the schools here in the United States, and don’t know how to get involved.

Those that came to the US for economic reasons usually don’t have a level of education much past the sixth grade that would allow them to be able to help their kids in schools. Even when they have higher levels of formal education, they may not have studied subjects such as American History, spelling, or English, therefore they can’t help their kids with homework. Often, they rely on the older siblings to help the younger ones.

In Latin America, schools do not wish or expect parents to be involved as much as parents do here. It seems that in Latin America there is more discipline in the schools. The relationship between students and teachers is more formal and disciplinary in nature. Latin American schools have more structure and parents are not expected to provide as much guidance

In the school systems here, each student is given more personal choice and control over their education and there is a higher greater dependence on parental involvement in the child’s education.

The value system of many immigrant families doesn’t necessarily include high academic standards. Instead, the focus is on family values, hard work, and being a good person. Many students are the only ones in their family who speak English and serve as the interpreters for their parents. This reverses parent-child roles. Students help their parents with issues of money, sickness, eviction and essentially serve as a link between the parents to the outside world.