Affiliation:
1. Heriot-Watt University
2. University of Bologna
Abstract
Abstract
Child Language Brokering (CLB) refers to the mediation and translation activities performed by bi/multilingual
children and adolescents for their peers, family members, and/or other people belonging to their linguistic community who may not
be proficient enough to communicate in the societal language. Since child language brokers engage in interpreted communicative
events and implement communicative strategies, one interesting but also controversial area of CLB is the communicative role
children play and the expectations of other parties about that role. In this paper we examine frequent communication strategies
implemented by a child language broker and study if/how they meet the other parties’ expectations. Specifically, two child
language brokering strategies are examined: replacement of a monolingual interlocutor and summarizing of the monolingual
interlocutors’ statements. We also discuss child language brokers’ roles and their alignment with adults’ expectations, an
innovative focus that merits deeper discussion.
Publisher
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Subject
Literature and Literary Theory,Linguistics and Language,Language and Linguistics