Brokering communication in sacred spaces: Bilingual youth interpreters in religious settings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v10i3.28191Keywords:
Bilingualism, Interpretation, Interaction, Youth, DiscourseAbstract
Although research on 'language brokering' has grown steadily over the past two decades, the specific characteristics and challenges of this type of interpretation work have yet to be fully explored. The present analysis examines the specific practices involved when bilingual youth interpret in religious services. Although underexplored in the language-brokering scholarship, religious services present a novel and revalatory context for the examination of non-professional interpretation practices. Framed through a discourse-analytic lens, this analysis explores how two youths demonstrate problem-solving skills and linguistic expertise in the interpretation process. I argue that the problem-solving activity in which the youth are participating is multifaceted and collaborative, and that the youth themselves must necessarily exercise great skill to solve each problem. I then position this analysis within the broader scholarship on language brokering and demonstrate how these practices expand our knowledge regarding the linguistic abilities of bilingual youth.References
Bell, R. T. (1991) Translation and translating: Theory and practice. London: Longman.
Bell, R. T. (1998) Psycholinguistic/cognitive approaches. In M. Baker (ed.) Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies 185–190. London: Routledge.
Bolden, G. B. (2012) Across languages and cultures: Brokering problems of understanding in conversational repair. Language in Society 41(1): 97–121. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404511000923
Bolden, G. B. (2014) Negotiating understanding in ‘Intercultural Moments’ in immigrant family interactions. Communication Monographs 81(2): 208–238. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2014.902983
Del Torto, L. M. (2008) Once a broker, always a broker: Non-professional interpreting as identity accomplishment in multigenerational Italian–English bilingual family interaction. Multilingua 27: 77–97. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1515/MULTI.2008.005
Del Torto, L. M. (2010) Child language brokers all grown up: Interpreting in multigenerational Italian–Canadian family interaction. mediAzioni 10: 147–181.
Du Bois, J. W., Schuetze-Coburn, S., Cumming, S. and Paolino, D. (1992) Outline of discourse transcription. In J. A. Edwards and M. D. Lampert (eds) Talking data: Transcription and coding in discourse research 45–89. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Eksner, H. J. and Orellana, M. F. (2012) Shifting in the zone: Latina/o child language brokers and the co-construction of knowledge. Ethos 40(2): 196–220. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1352.2012.01246.x
García-Sánchez, I. M. (2014) Language and Muslim immigrant childhoods. Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118323939
García-Sánchez, I. M., Orellana, M. F. and Hopkins, M. (2011) Facilitating intercultural communication in parent-teacher conferences: Lessons from child translators. Multicultural Perspectives 13(3): 148–154. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15210960.2011.594387
Goodwin, C. (1993) Recording human interaction in natural settings. Pragmatics 3(2): 181–209. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.3.2.05goo
Harris, B. and Sherwood, B. (1978) Translating as an innate skill. In D. Gerver and H. W. Sinaiko (eds) Language interpretation and communication 155–170. New York: Plennum Press. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9077-4_15
Karlik, J. (2010) Interpreter-mediated scriptures: Expectation and performance. Interpreting 12(2): 160–185. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/intp.12.2.03kar
Malakoff, M. E. (1991) Natural translation ability in French–English bilingual school-age children: A study of source language errors in naive child-translators (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). New Haven, CT: Yale University.
Orellana, M. F. (2009) Translating childhoods: Immigrant youth, language, and culture. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Orellana, M. F., Dorner, L., and Pulido, L. (2003) Accessing assets: Immigrant youth’s work as family translators or ‘para-phrasers’. Social Problems 50(4): 505–524. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/sp.2003.50.4.505.
Orellana, M. F., Reynolds, J., Dorner, L. and Meza, M. (2003) In other words: Translating or ‘para-phrasing’ as a family literacy practice in immigrant households. Reading Research Quarterly 38(1): 12–34. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.38.1.2
Reynolds, J. F. and Orellana, M. F. (2009) New immigrant youth interpreting in white public space. American Anthropologist 111(2): 211–223. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1433.2009.01114.x
Reynolds, J. F. and Orellana, M. F. (2015) Translanguaging within enactments of quotidian interpreter-mediated interactions. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 24(3): 315–338. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jola.12057
Reynolds, J. F., Orellana, M. F. and García-Sánchez, I. (2015) In the service of surveillance: Immigrant child language brokers in parent–teacher conferences. Langage et Société 153: 91–108. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3917/ls.153.0091
Riccardi, A. (1998) Interpreting strategies and creativity. In A. Beylard-Ozeroff, J. Králová and B. Moser-Mercer (eds) Translators’ strategies and creativity 171–179. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.27.24ric
Tse, L. (1995) Language brokering among Latino adolescent: Prevalence, attitudes, and school performance. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 17(2): 180–193. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/07399863950172003
Tse, L. (1996) Language brokering in linguistic minority communities: The case of Chinese- and Vietnamese-American students. The Bilingual Research Journal 20(3-4): 485–498. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.1996.10668640
Valdés, G. (2003) Expanding the de?nition of giftedness: The case of young interpreters from immigrant communities. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Valdés, G. and Angelelli, C. (2003) Interpreters, interpreting, and the study of bilingualism. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 23: 58–78. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190503000199.
Villanueva, C. M., and Buriel, R. (2010) Speaking on behalf of others: A qualitative study of the perceptions and feelings of adolescent Latina language brokers. Journal of Social Issues 66(1): 197–210. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.200901640.x.
Wadensjö, C. (1998) Interpreting as interaction. London and New York: Longman.
Weisskirch, R. S. and Alva, S. A. (2002) Language brokering and the acculturation of Latino children. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 24: 369–378. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986302024003007
Zentella, A. C. (1997) Growing up bilingual: Puerto Rican children in New York. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Bell, R. T. (1998) Psycholinguistic/cognitive approaches. In M. Baker (ed.) Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies 185–190. London: Routledge.
Bolden, G. B. (2012) Across languages and cultures: Brokering problems of understanding in conversational repair. Language in Society 41(1): 97–121. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404511000923
Bolden, G. B. (2014) Negotiating understanding in ‘Intercultural Moments’ in immigrant family interactions. Communication Monographs 81(2): 208–238. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2014.902983
Del Torto, L. M. (2008) Once a broker, always a broker: Non-professional interpreting as identity accomplishment in multigenerational Italian–English bilingual family interaction. Multilingua 27: 77–97. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1515/MULTI.2008.005
Del Torto, L. M. (2010) Child language brokers all grown up: Interpreting in multigenerational Italian–Canadian family interaction. mediAzioni 10: 147–181.
Du Bois, J. W., Schuetze-Coburn, S., Cumming, S. and Paolino, D. (1992) Outline of discourse transcription. In J. A. Edwards and M. D. Lampert (eds) Talking data: Transcription and coding in discourse research 45–89. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Eksner, H. J. and Orellana, M. F. (2012) Shifting in the zone: Latina/o child language brokers and the co-construction of knowledge. Ethos 40(2): 196–220. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1352.2012.01246.x
García-Sánchez, I. M. (2014) Language and Muslim immigrant childhoods. Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118323939
García-Sánchez, I. M., Orellana, M. F. and Hopkins, M. (2011) Facilitating intercultural communication in parent-teacher conferences: Lessons from child translators. Multicultural Perspectives 13(3): 148–154. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15210960.2011.594387
Goodwin, C. (1993) Recording human interaction in natural settings. Pragmatics 3(2): 181–209. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.3.2.05goo
Harris, B. and Sherwood, B. (1978) Translating as an innate skill. In D. Gerver and H. W. Sinaiko (eds) Language interpretation and communication 155–170. New York: Plennum Press. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9077-4_15
Karlik, J. (2010) Interpreter-mediated scriptures: Expectation and performance. Interpreting 12(2): 160–185. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/intp.12.2.03kar
Malakoff, M. E. (1991) Natural translation ability in French–English bilingual school-age children: A study of source language errors in naive child-translators (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). New Haven, CT: Yale University.
Orellana, M. F. (2009) Translating childhoods: Immigrant youth, language, and culture. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Orellana, M. F., Dorner, L., and Pulido, L. (2003) Accessing assets: Immigrant youth’s work as family translators or ‘para-phrasers’. Social Problems 50(4): 505–524. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/sp.2003.50.4.505.
Orellana, M. F., Reynolds, J., Dorner, L. and Meza, M. (2003) In other words: Translating or ‘para-phrasing’ as a family literacy practice in immigrant households. Reading Research Quarterly 38(1): 12–34. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.38.1.2
Reynolds, J. F. and Orellana, M. F. (2009) New immigrant youth interpreting in white public space. American Anthropologist 111(2): 211–223. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1433.2009.01114.x
Reynolds, J. F. and Orellana, M. F. (2015) Translanguaging within enactments of quotidian interpreter-mediated interactions. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 24(3): 315–338. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jola.12057
Reynolds, J. F., Orellana, M. F. and García-Sánchez, I. (2015) In the service of surveillance: Immigrant child language brokers in parent–teacher conferences. Langage et Société 153: 91–108. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3917/ls.153.0091
Riccardi, A. (1998) Interpreting strategies and creativity. In A. Beylard-Ozeroff, J. Králová and B. Moser-Mercer (eds) Translators’ strategies and creativity 171–179. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.27.24ric
Tse, L. (1995) Language brokering among Latino adolescent: Prevalence, attitudes, and school performance. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 17(2): 180–193. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/07399863950172003
Tse, L. (1996) Language brokering in linguistic minority communities: The case of Chinese- and Vietnamese-American students. The Bilingual Research Journal 20(3-4): 485–498. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.1996.10668640
Valdés, G. (2003) Expanding the de?nition of giftedness: The case of young interpreters from immigrant communities. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Valdés, G. and Angelelli, C. (2003) Interpreters, interpreting, and the study of bilingualism. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 23: 58–78. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190503000199.
Villanueva, C. M., and Buriel, R. (2010) Speaking on behalf of others: A qualitative study of the perceptions and feelings of adolescent Latina language brokers. Journal of Social Issues 66(1): 197–210. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.200901640.x.
Wadensjö, C. (1998) Interpreting as interaction. London and New York: Longman.
Weisskirch, R. S. and Alva, S. A. (2002) Language brokering and the acculturation of Latino children. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 24: 369–378. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986302024003007
Zentella, A. C. (1997) Growing up bilingual: Puerto Rican children in New York. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Published
2017-01-20
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Articles
How to Cite
Wheeler, E. M. (2017). Brokering communication in sacred spaces: Bilingual youth interpreters in religious settings. Sociolinguistic Studies, 10(3), 329-355. https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v10i3.28191
