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When Children Become Family Interpreters: Institutional Responsibility, Emotional Labour and Educational Equity in Multilingual Switzerland

Hajiali F · 14 Oct 2026

Abstract

Background: Children in multilingual families may translate school communications for their parents. Although this work can express competence, reciprocity and family solidarity, it can also shift institutional communication duties to minors when messages concern assessment, conflict or confidential support. Switzerland offers a salient context because of its multilingual population, locally governed schools and growing use of digital parent–school communication. Objective. To integrate psychological research on child language brokering with scholarship on intercultural school–family cooperation, Swiss educational governance and digital communication, and to identify a testable institutional rather than child-deficit research agenda. Approach. A critical, purposive integrative synthesis drew on identified peer-reviewed studies, a 2026 Swiss university research chapter, Swiss public statistics, education governance sources and relevant conceptual work. Sources were located through targeted bibliographic and institutional web searches completed on 10 October 2026. This is not a systematic review, meta-analysis or study involving new participants. Synthesis. Evidence suggests that brokering frequency alone poorly captures its meaning: perceived obligation, affect, power asymmetries, message sensitivity and adult support matter. A provisional SCOPE framework is proposed to assess Stakes, Child agency, Organisational ownership, Provision of adult language support and Evaluation of communication outcomes. It distinguishes voluntary family assistance from situations in which schools should provide an accessible adult-to-adult route. Digital translation may ease routine messages but cannot reliably substitute for relational trust or skilled interpretation in high-stakes encounters. Conclusion. A Swiss research agenda should evaluate responsibility allocation and communication accessibility alongside children’s wellbeing and parents’ participation. The framework is an analytical proposal, not a validated instrument or proof of a causal effect.