Translation and Interpretation in Education: How to Improve Outcomes for All

In K-12 schools, events like parent-teacher meetings and back-to-school gatherings take place at this time of the school year. Translators and interpreters help with a lot of these events, as well as written communications to families. This month, I’ve been translating Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and letters sent to parents. I also recently interpreted at a speech-language assessment meeting for an elementary student and a teacher-parent meeting for a high school student.

So, how do we ensure great communication between families and schools? No matter what language is being spoken in these meetings or needed for translation, there are a few key things that all involved can do to improve outcomes for kids, families and teachers.

1. School staff: Assess a family’s prior knowledge. Educators know how important it is to assess a student’s prior knowledge before teaching something new. But what about when you’re talking with parents? Do you know if the parents or guardians understand what an IEP is? Are you explaining what all the tests are for? Can you explain, in plain language, some of the fancy educational terms used in the report?
2. School staff and linguists: Assess the family’s literacy level. Can the student’s parents read the report? I’ve interpreted in meetings when it was obvious to me that one or both parents were not literate. The teachers and administrators didn’t seem to know, and the parents were too embarrassed to speak up. Before a meeting, find out about the reading abilities of family members and plan accordingly.
3. Linguists: Write out acronyms. I think it’s a good practice to write out acronyms in reports and other communications. FAPE, AAC, ESY, SLP…most folks outside of education don’t know what all these acronyms mean, and I myself often need a refresh! For example, “Family was given the offer of FAPE” could instead be expressed as: “Family was given the offer of Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).”
4. Families: Ask for a Zoom meeting if you need it. Parents have busy schedules, and perhaps it makes the most sense to hold a meeting over Zoom. This is especially helpful in rural areas where people drive longer distances to school or if a school district contracts out with interpreters who live some distance away.

I hope these tips help us to provide the best services we can for students!