A linguistic perspective on communication with parents who speak English as a second language: phonology, morphology and syntax

Abstract

In this article, we take a linguistic perspective to support effective communication between early educators and parents who speak English as a second language and may have limited English proficiency. Positive communication and partnerships are recognised as important for the education of young children. Because early educators may be unaware of the challenges faced by parents who speak English as a second language, we first delineate complexities of second language processing. Next, we draw on actual parent–early educator talk to highlight potential difficulties in understanding English phonology, morphology and syntax for parents who speak English as a second language. Subsequently, we provide research‐based recommendations for early educators to facilitate communication with parents who speak English as a second language.