Language brokering experience among interpreting students: pedagogical implications for the development of interpreting competence

Young bilinguals in multilingual environments frequently act as language brokers for members of their families and communities. It is thus not surprising that growing numbers of young language brokers are drawn to formal translation/interpreting programs. Nevertheless, when they join, they often encounter pedagogies that tend to focus on elective sequential bilinguals (i.e. individuals who purposefully acquired their L2 after childhood) and that rarely acknowledge previous interpreting experiences. This study explores the specific needs of young language brokers as they become apparent in their accounts of previous interpreting experiences. For this purpose, it analyses the narratives of 67 self-identified current or former young language brokers who are pursuing formal interpreting education. It identifies their perceived strengths and weaknesses, features of successful interpreted events, and attitudes towards interpreting. By mapping these findings against the framework of Interpreting Competence (and its sub-competences), this study ultimately aims to inform the fine-tuning of pedagogical approaches and methods that capitalise on and are sensitive to the backgrounds of these students.