CARROLLTON, GA — Carrollton High School bilingual students have a unique opportunity to share their skills with their peers. The Work-Based Learning program has expanded to include student translator internships, where bilingual students can help bridge the language gap between English language learners, their peers, and their teachers.
Carrollton High School’s Work-Based Learning (WBL) program allows students to develop career-related skills through job placements during the school day. In recent years, on-campus internships have grown in popularity as students use their skills to support the district. Providing on-campus internships creates more access to WBL for students by removing transportation as a barrier. Some bilingual students choose to serve as translator interns in classrooms to assist students with English language acquisition.
The ability to effectively translate from one language to another is a transferable workplace skill.
“This is our fourth semester offering this internship to bilingual students,” said CHS Work-Based Learning Coordinator Kasey Austin, “It allows WBL students exposure to the education career field while gaining experience as translators, which is a very marketable skill. Both students and teachers benefit from this program and have provided positive feedback.”
Several of the bilingual interns recall working on their own English language skills in elementary school. Therefore, supporting students who are learning English is especially meaningful to them. While many students already serve as interpreters for their families, they may not always recognize the positive impact their bilingual skills can have on their classmates and teachers.
Junior Noely Castillo and senior Jefferson Hernandez Lopez, both student interns, explained that they were surprised at how much their translation skills helped their Spanish-speaking peers build confidence in English acquisition and proficiency.
“Through this internship, I have discovered people learn in their own ways,” said Noely about her first semester as an intern. “By translating for students who need help learning English, it allows them to better understand the class material and have more confidence in sharing their work and responses. Even though I speak Spanish fluently, each country has different accents or pronunciations of Spanish words, so I am able to learn about the students’ home languages too. We learn from each other.”
Jefferson Hernandez Lopez, a second-semester intern, said his experience assisting English-language learners taught him that varying instructional approaches can significantly improve student learning. He gave the example of a whole-class play reading, which provides a visual learning experience unlike independent reading. Defining and translating key vocabulary, he said, further supports student comprehension. Over time, he noted, students grew in their English language reading and writing skills as their confidence increased.
Through this program, Carrollton High School is developing future leaders and professionals equipped with valuable language and communication skills, while simultaneously fostering a more connected and understanding school environment.
CHS bilingual intern Noely Castillo works with CHS teacher Nichole Chetti to translate and support her peers, sophomore Yahel Fernando Castellon Uriarte (left) and junior Erly Velasquez (right).
Junior bilingual intern Noely Castillo encourages her peers, from left sophomore Yahel Fernando Castellon Uriarte and junior Erly Velasquez, to practice their English speaking skills.