I am pleased to announce the publication of my paper in Educational Review, a research journal that has provided cutting-edge scholarly analyses of global educational issues for over 75 years.

My paper is titled Intercultural family-school cooperation and the dilemma of involving child language brokers versus professional interpreters. It explores Danish, Icelandic, and Norwegian student teachers’ perspectives on this topic by analysing 36 individual interviews with them. At the time of the study, they were enrolled in full-time teacher education programmes in their respective home countries and were in the final year of their educational journey. The paper addresses the following research questions: 

• What are the experiences and perspectives of the student teachers regarding cooperation with families who require language assistance in communicating with schools?
• What are the perceived advantages and disadvantages of involving child language brokers versus professional interpreters, as identified by the student teachers? 

Drawing on their field experiences, the student teachers presented diverse scenarios in which they articulated a reasoned preference for involving either professional interpreters or child language brokers. As implications derived from the findings, it is evident that the involvement of professional interpreters and child language brokers in intercultural family-school cooperation necessitates a comprehensive evaluation by school personnel of the power dynamics, the emotional well-being of all parties involved, and the issues of confidentiality and professionalism. The study highlights the need for teacher education to address intercultural family-school cooperation holistically. It advocates for an enhanced focus on sustainable language support strategies, extending beyond reliance on interpreters or child language brokers.

The paper is published open access.

The mother never trusted herself to learn Icelandic. […] The eldest girl was interpreting, and this created an imbalance in their relationship. The girl was worried about her little brother because he had many issues. She took it very personally. It appeared as though she was assuming the mother’s role.

Ísabella, pseudonym.

Benediktsson, A. I. (2024). Intercultural family-school cooperation and the dilemma of involving child language brokers versus professional interpreters. Educational Review, Latest articles, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2024.2379433