Ethics in child language brokering

This chapter explores child language brokering (CLB) using a descriptive rather than a prescriptive lens. By studying definitions, historical and contextual background and mapping CLB to intercultural/linguistic communicative needs and language provision (or lack thereof), it considers CLB in relation to individual and societal bilingualism/multilingualism as well as in relation to communication and access to services. It explores CLB as a situated practice, whether it occurs in child-to-child, child-to-adult or adult-to-adult interactions. This chapter problematizes the ethics in those interactions. We ask whose responsibility it is to provide, allow, ban or even require CLB in interactions. Using examples of empirical data from larger studies we discuss a framework to assess if/when it can be either appropriate, inappropriate or somewhere in between to engage children/youngsters in brokering communication in general, and in adult communication specifically, by considering the consequences of each and all of these decisions.