Freshman Anahi Delgado is depicted above at a conference with her mother and a counselor, who struggled to understand their translator over the phone. Delgado feels translation services in the Clarke County School District can be improved upon.
Better translation services are necessary and needed within the Clarke County School District community.
I grew up with Spanish as my first language. Without anyone older to teach me how to speak English, I taught myself.
In kindergarten, I listened to my classmates ask questions and then I asked the same ones. I had a few friends who helped me figure out the basics, and by the time I was eight, I finally felt like I had a grasp on the English language.
That’s when I started translating.
My parents were born in different parts of Mexico. My mom came to the United States around the age of 19 and my stepdad came around the age of 20. For as long as I can remember, they have needed someone to translate for them.
I have translated for my parents in doctor’s offices, parent-teacher conferences, restaurants and text messages — it’s a frequent occurrence in my life. My ability to translate has made life a bit easier for them.
Though I am glad to help my parents in this way, it is important there are services in place in our community to alleviate some of this burden from the backs of children.
According to the Clarke County School District website, interpretation services are offered for 92 percent of non-English languages spoken by CCSD families. Even though the district claims that interpretation services are offered, finding an avilable interpreter can often be difficult. When my parents do receive translation services, interpreters often aren’t as fluent as my parents need them to be.
Once, when visiting a school counselor with my mom, communication was made difficult because a translator was only available over the phone. Though it is positive that translation services are available over the phone at all, my family’s experience was not great. The phone call with the translator was hard to hear and the translations were incorrect, making it confusing for everyone.
Despite certain flaws, my family has greatly benefited from translation services. These services allow my family and myself to have conversations with others and takes some of the weight off of me.
We are not the only family who relies on translation. Our diverse CCSD community needs more translation services. Having availability, fluency and language acquisition in translators is essential and will make for a more welcome and comfortable school environment. Those who may struggle with the English language have the right to be informed and feel comfortable within the school community, making translation services a necessity that the school district cannot afford to overlook.
