Writing Feature Articles - Step 1 - Lesson 1 | Page 79

Writing Feature Articles - Lesson
Writing Feature Articles - Handout . a

Intermediate

Name: ________________________________________ Date: ___________________

. a: Feature Articles Packet

(page

of

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Family Translators
Elizabeth V., Grade 5
Kids who act as translators for their parents are caught
between childhood desires and adult responsibilities.
Imagine yourself having to tell your parents about your
homework habits in a parent-teacher conference. That’s
what 7-year-old Maria had to do. Her mom didn’t speak
English and the teacher didn’t speak Spanish, so Maria
was stuck translating. “I could tell the teacher held back
because of me,” Maria said. Maria shouldn’t have had to be
there, but she had no choice. “It was really awkward,” she
admitted later.
Helping Out
There are many kids who must translate for their parents
and are put in a position similar to Maria’s. Many adult
immigrants arrive in this country not knowing how to speak
English. However, in the workplace, government of?ces
and even in stores, English is needed to communicate. A lot of parents want to go to English classes,
but some just don’t have the time. They have to work to put food on the table and take care of their kids.
Also, it is much harder for a grown-up to learn a second language. As a result, many immigrants come
to depend on their children.
Not an Easy Job for Kids
But this dependence can cause problems. “I get mad because my mom tells me to ask someone
something in English and I understand and can talk to the person , but then I have trouble translating
their answer back into Chinese,” says Jennie, 12, whose parents speak only Chinese. In addition to
being frustrating, translating can also be scary. “I get scared because my mom’s looking at me and
depending on me, but it’s intimidating to try to do something that I’m not really old enough to do –there’s
a lot of pressure,” explains Monica, age 16.
Hard on Parents
Kids are not the only ones who get frustrated. Sometimes parents do, too. “I get frustrated because I
can understand when they speak English, but when I try to speak English, I can’t make out the words,
and they don’t understand me,” Noemi, age 36 explained in Spanish. It can also be humiliating to have
to depend on your children.
Parents can also be at a disadvantage when their children don’t translate correctly. Kids can take
advantage by telling their parents to sign permission slips for trips they shouldn’t go on or to sign
a reading log when they haven’t done the reading. “I took advantage of the situation many times,”
admitted Paul, 16 a Russian immigrant.

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