Early Childhood Education Teacher's Beliefs about a Match in Home Language Proficiency with Emergent Bilingual Learners

Abstract

Spanish-speaking emergent bilingual learners (EBLLs) are the fastest-growing group of children under five in the United States. Yet, there is a limited number of early childhood education (ECE) teachers who speak Spanish. This study examines mainstream English-instruction ECE teachers' beliefs about how a language match supports EBLLs' learning and development. Semi-structured interviews with 20 ECE teachers who varied in levels of Spanish-language proficiency were conducted. Qualitative results illustrated that most teachers demonstrated sociolinguistic consciousness regarding their beliefs about the value of using Spanish in the classroom and highlighted important sociopolitical factors that influence their beliefs and practices. The findings indicate several policy and practice implications, such as the need for language policies that encourage the use of Spanish and English in the classroom and pre-service/in-service education on the best practices for supporting EBLLs.