Caught in the middle: child language brokering as a form of unrecognised language service

This paper will present the findings of a wide-scale research aimed at studying the phenomenon of Child Language Brokering (henceforth CLB) in Italy. After providing a description of recent immigration patterns and the provision of language services in Italy, and an overview of current research in this field, this study will discuss narrative data obtained by means of a school contest, Traduttori in Erba (Translators in Bud). The analysis of the children's narratives on their experiences as language brokers will show the impact that this practice has on their lives and the huge contribution that these children make in order to help their families interact with the institutions of their new country of residence.