- When kids broker language, they are transforming a message from one language to another with purpose. And they are doing this within a social context – they language broker for distinct people in particular social situations. Language brokering is a relational act. Similarly, when we ask kids to paraphrase things in the context of literacy activities, we might ask them to paraphrase a message for someone to activate this prior knowledge. Kids regularly have to think about the social contexts in which they are translating, considering things like: Who’s in the room? Is this a high stakes translation? A lower-stakes one? How much time do I have? Therefore, when you ask students to paraphrase in a language arts class or a history class, try adding in social context. Re-creating these conditions mimics the cognitive and social work that kids do when they language broker, and it also prepares them for more real-world applications of literacy activities.
- Draw on what your students do by recognizing it out loud in warm-ups and in daily praise. Think of things to say like: “I know a lot of you already do this for your family at home! I’m asking you to do something a little similar here.”
- When generating synonyms to develop students’ skills in word choice and vocabulary, you might consider phrasing the instructions around a language brokering experience: “What are all the ways you might describe this to your mom if you were translating for her?”
- When kids are brokering for each other in class, especially for newcomers who recently arrived from another country and may still be learning English, think about how to foster this as a moment of appreciation for the social camaraderie students are building with one another as well as a learning opportunity. You could ask your students to write about their brokering experiences. They could focus on the choices they made, the things they found easy or hard to do, and how they felt about the interaction.
- Have fun playing with different audiences. When students do class presentations, jazz them up by having different groups present and tailor their talk and slides to different groups, reminding them how they might do this at home already!
- Read the story of a “Day in the Life of a Language Broker” with students. Invite students to compare and contrast their own lives, or write their own stories.
- Language brokering fosters empathic concern and transcultural perspective-taking. Encourage students to speak about/explore their dual frames of reference through creative writing, discussion, or art. Example: “Today, we will be reading Charlotte’s Web. How might the story be different if we read it from the perspective of Wilbur the Pig rather than Charlotte the Spider? In your own life, have you ever felt like you were seeing something from the points of view of different people? What if you had to broker (translate) between Wilbur and Charlotte? Let’s act this out! Who wants to be Wilbur? Charlotte?” This could encourage students to tap into their transcultural perspective-taking and promote empathic concern. It may also lend legitimacy to their language brokering experience, giving them the confidence to continue this work with their families.
- Language brokering is done primarily for family members and close loved ones. Encourage students to explain American/English concepts/phrases in their own terms. Example: “Let’s say that you get a letter in the mail that says that your father is overdue for a dentist appointment. How would you explain this to your dad if he has never heard the word ‘overdue’? How would you explain the word ‘overdue’ to your dad without actually using the word? Be creative!” This will not only help language brokers practice explaining concepts that do not have direct translations in their home language, it will also encourage all students to clearly define and communicate what they are saying, especially when they speak with people of different cultural backgrounds.
- Language brokering is work that often goes unnoticed. Bring up the term “language brokering” in your classroom. Acknowledge that there are students in class who may do this work in their homes. Acknowledge that this is not easy work, but that it contributes meaningfully to their families, schools, and the world.