Hello there,
I will be starting my internships in a few months, and I am curious as to how I should communicate with my students' parents who have limited english proficiency. Also, how often should I communicate with them?
The use of programs can be helpful to translate when needed.
I agree the interpreter is the best option in order avoid any misunderstandings due to the language barrier. However, the interpreter doesn't have to a be a staff member from the ESOL department. It could be a paraprofessional, the social worker, another teacher, or the school psychologist whom speak the same language as the parents. Google translate should be avoided because a lot of times Google translate translates a piece of writing incorrectly.