Navigating Language Brokering in K–12 Schools

Language brokering is defined as “the act of interpreting and translating between culturally and linguistically different people and mediating interactions in a variety of situations” (Tse, 1996, p. 226). Students in K–12 school settings may be asked to serve as language brokers for family members or school stakeholders during school-based interactions to help facilitate communication. Some students may be left with strained personal relationships, mental health risks, and other psychological factors in result of this practice. Other students may benefit academically and cognitively from their language brokering. School counselors are uniquely qualified to meet the academic and social–emotional needs of students faced with language-brokering concerns. This article will examine language brokering within K–12 school settings and explicate how school counselors and other school-based providers can navigate the impacts of language brokering through collaborative partnerships with clinical mental health providers.