Young Interpreters
Did you know that the children of St Michael’s Primary School can speak over 50 different languages?
Sometimes children arrive in our school who have come from other countries and speak other languages. It is important to us that we help children settle in quickly, learn school routines and feel welcome and a sense of belonging.
To help our new children to do this, St Michael’s is very lucky to have sixteen Young Interpreters. Young Interpreters are children who have done some special training so they can help new children who come to our school who do not yet speak or understand English very well.
These children have lots of the qualities you need to be a Young Interpreter, such as being:
- Helpful
- Caring
- Reliable
- Friendly
- Cheerful
Some of the things our Young Interpreters do are:
- Helping to show families from other countries around the school.
- Looking after newly arrived children and making sure they have someone to play with.
- Explaining school routines, such as what happens at play times and lunch times.
- Answering any questions about St Michael’s that the new children may have.
- Translating instructions from the teacher.


Here’s what some of Young Interpreters have to say:
‘Being a Young Interpreter is about helping children from different countries to communicate with different children.’ (Moneli)
‘You need to be a kind-hearted and understanding person who cares about other people just as much as you care about yourself.’ (Mouthika)
‘We help people feel welcome- it doesn’t have to be about speaking the same language.’ (Leila)
‘We can translate for anybody who might find speaking and understanding English difficult. We have translated for children, parents and teachers.’ (Deniz)
‘We buddy up with younger children to read to them or listen to them read.’ (Leila)
‘We make resources like communication fans (to help children new to English communicate) and information posters celebrating other cultures’ special occasions.’ (Leila)