Child language brokering as a family care practice: Reframing the 'parentified child' debate

This paper explores the perspectives of 29 child language brokers living in the UK who interpret for their family following migration. They were presented with vignette stories depicting a potentially conflictual situation between a language broker, a parent and an adult 'other' in a position of power or authority. Drawing on debates about language brokering as a family care practice, the 'parentified child' and discussions about non-normative childhoods, the analysis highlights how the role played by the adult 'other', coupled with a sometimes-hostile sociocultural context, can exaggerate tensions or facilitate interactions in the parent-child relationship. The young people's views and experiences illuminate how they navigate these complexities.