Addressing Cross-Linguistic and Communication Challenges between International Schools within Qatar and Arabic-Speaking Parents: An Exploratory Study

In light of the increasing number of Arabic native speaking students in international schools (in particular the English medium schools) within Qatar, a pertinent question emerges as to how these schools ensure effective communication with parents who do not speak the English language. This question is entrenched in the premise that parental involvement is a fundamental pillar that guarantees higher academic achievements among students. To understand how international schools are presently tackling cross-cultural and communication barriers, through this empirical research, I explore the communication challenges with parents, and how they are addressed. Based on the concepts of community interpreting and translation, and ad hoc interpreting (García-Beyaert 2015a; Boéri 2012; Hale 2007; Kelly, Ray, and DePalma 2011), and following a sociological approach to translation studies (Chesterman 2006; Wolf and Fukari 2007), I attempt to understand the role of interpreting and translation as part of the communication policies set by these establishments, as well as the parents’ perception of these activities. Drawing from interviews with parents, teachers, principals, and other education pundits, the findings reveal that communication with parents, as they perceive it, is hindered by language barriers. Similarly, I argue that, despite their centrality, translation and interpreting activities are not presently considered as a priority. The study suggests that schools need to respect the rights of parents to access accurate information on their children’s progress, and to communicate autonomously with these schools. The thesis concludes with a set of short, mid, and long term actions and suggestions that aim to guide the improvements of translation and interpreting activities within the schools.