Fostering Multilingual Children’s Language Development through iPad Apps

Abstract

AbstractThis article shares a case study of a classroom of multicultural and multilingual children in an early childhood center to explore how iPad apps can support young children in learning English as an additional language. Situated in Sydney, Australia, this study found that iPad apps have the potential to promote 4‐ and 5‐year‐old children's language learning, including their vocabulary development. During the iPad sessions, the children were excited to engage with the app and share their relevant life experiences with their friends and their teacher. In this classroom, the lead teacher believed in the importance of iPad apps to encourage young children's language learning and multimodal meaning making. However, there was a disconnect between her beliefs and her practices, which suggests that targeted professional development could be instrumental in fostering early childhood educators’ ability to scaffold children's English language development with iPad apps.