Bridging the language gap: How technology is making a difference with multilingual families

Communicating with school staff can be challenging for families who are new to the country or have limited English proficiency. But a new tool introduced across San Juan Unified School District is helping to break down some of those barriers. 

During the 2024-25 school year, San Juan Unified began rotating Pocketalk devices at select school sites, initially focusing on campuses that serve large populations of multilingual students and families.

The handheld translation device resembles a smartphone and supports over 160 languages, providing real-time voice and text translation. It's designed to help families and staff hold two-way conversations when a live interpreter isn’t available.

“It’s not a replacement for our translation employees who provide a vital service — it’s a tool to support them,” said Peter Skibitzki, senior director of technology services for San Juan Unified. “It helps ensure staff and families can still connect when a live interpreter isn’t available.”

During a demo at Arcade Middle School, Skibitzki said he got to see the device in action. A Dari-speaking parent walked into the office, and he used the Pocketalk to speak to her in English. The device translated his words aloud in Dari, and the parent responded right away.

“I was able to give her the device and show her, and she was actually able to say something and have it be translated back in real time in English,” he said.

Originally, the district purchased 20 devices to test them and rotate them among school front offices. However, after receiving positive feedback, some schools decided to purchase Pocketalk devices for teachers to use in the classroom, especially at sites with high numbers of multilingual learners.

At Encina High School, teacher Jessica Anderson expressed excitement about the prospect of Pocketalk devices being made available to all staff at her site. 

“We’d been looking for translation options that support Pashto and Dari, and they’re really hard to find,” said Anderson.

Anderson uses the device to help students understand instructions, especially those who are not literate in their native language. For some of her students, traditional written translations may not be enough. 

“The voice feature is huge,” she said. “Some of my students can’t read in their language, so being able to speak into the device and have it read aloud to them is essential.”

For Anderson, the biggest impact is seeing the moment of understanding on her students’ faces.

“I’ve definitely noticed that when I translate something for a kid and I play the audio and they listen, I can see that ‘aha’ moment of understanding. I think students finally feel that they know they can communicate with me easier than they did before,” she said.

As more schools explore the use of Pocketalk, district leaders say it’s just one of many ways they’re working to create more inclusive, accessible experiences for students and families. In 2023, the district introduced TalkingPoints, a two-way messaging platform that enables teachers and school staff to communicate with families in their native language via text message. 

With continued investments in tools like Pocketalk and TalkingPoints, San Juan Unified is taking meaningful steps to ensure students and families, no matter what language they speak, feel welcomed, informed and connected.