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Originalia

Jugendliche Übersetzer

Language Brokering in russischen Migrantenfamilien in Deutschland

Published Online:July 08, 2013https://doi.org/10.1026/0049-8637/a000087

Abstract

Jugendliche Migranten übersetzen häufig für ihre Eltern, was auch als Language Brokering (LB) bezeichnet wird. Ziel dieser Studie war es, herauszufinden inwieweit demographische, akkulturative und familiäre Prädiktoren mit LB in Zusammenhang stehen, inwiefern LB mit internalisierten Verhaltensproblemen verbunden ist, und ob das Alter der Jugendlichen diesen Zusammenhang moderiert. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 119 Dyaden jugendlicher Migranten aus der ehemaligen Sowjetunion in Deutschland (mittleres Alter = 15 Jahre 10 Monate, 61 % weiblich) sowie deren Müttern. LB wurde häufiger von Jugendlichen berichtet, die älter waren, eine positivere Einstellung zum Übersetzen hatten, deren Mütter schlechtere Deutschkenntnisse und weniger deutsche Bekannte angaben und deren Familie nicht intakt war. Bei jüngeren Jugendlichen war LB mit mehr internalisierten Problemen assoziiert, bei älteren hingegen nicht. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass vor allem jüngere Jugendliche durch Übersetzungsaufgaben überfordert sind, wahrscheinlich weil ihre sozialen und kognitiven Fähigkeiten den Anforderungen noch nicht gewachsen sind.


Adolescent interpreters: Language brokering in Russian immigrant families in Germany

Adolescent immigrants often translate for their parents, a behavior referred to as language brokering (LB). This study aimed (1) to identify demographic, acculturation- and family-related predictors of LB, (2) to investigate whether LB was related to higher levels of internalized problems, and (3) whether this association was moderated by age. The sample comprised 119 dyads of adolescent immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Germany (mean age = 15 years 10 months, 61 % female) and their mothers. LB was more prominent among adolescents who were older and had a more positive attitude toward translating, whose mothers spoke poorer German and had fewer German friends, and whose families were not intact. LB was associated with more internalized problems among younger but not among older adolescents. Our results suggest that younger adolescents in particular are not able to cope adequately with translating responsibilities, probably because their social and cognitive skills are not yet sufficient for coping with the demanding task.

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