Swedish Preschool Teachers Perspectives on Multilingual Children’s Emergent Literacy Development

Martina Norling,Gunilla Sandberg

doi:10.22158/wjer.v5n1p1

Abstract

This study is a part of a small research project designed as action research project. The aim of this study in which six preschool teachers participated in focus group interviews, is to increase understanding about preschool teachers’ didactic work to create conditions for multilingual children’s emergent literacy development in preschool. The preschool teachers’ descriptions show that multilingualism is seen as part of everyday life and not for specific occasions. In the analysis of the preschool teachers’ statements, four important conditions for literacy development emerge; learning environment, language practices, text practices and play activities. In terms of support for multilingual children, preschool teachers say that cooperation with parents has a significant role for children’s emergent literacy development.This study highlights the importance of paying attention to multilingual children’s emergent literacy processes already in preschool.

Highlights

This study aims to increase understanding about preschool teachers’ didactic work to create conditions for multilingual children’s emergent literacy development in preschool
3.1 Observe Different Languages In this theme it is mainly the descriptions of views of multilingualism that arise in the focus group interviews. 3.1.1 View of Multilingualism The preschool teachers say that their attitude to multilingualism plays an important role in encouraging children to use more than one language
The preschool teacher’s description shows an educational awareness of how preschool teachers’ attitudes can affect norms regarding use of language in the preschool. 3.2 Conditions for Learning and Development This theme brought to light four categories that preschool teachers describe as important conditions for learning and development learning environment, language practices, text practices and play activities. 3.2.1 Learning Environment The preschool teachers say that the learning environment is significant and it is necessary for children to have access to various materials, aesthetic forms of expression and multimodal tools in the preschool so that multilingual children can, for instance, play with letters, symbols and words in the preschool

Summary

Introduction

This study aims to increase understanding about preschool teachers’ didactic work to create conditions for multilingual children’s emergent literacy development in preschool. 1.3 Didactic Work to Create Conditions for Multilingual Children Research has emphasised in different ways the value of stimulating learning environments and teaching during the children’s early years at preschool to promote emergent literacy development (Damber, 2016; Grøver Aukrust, 2008; Norling, 2015a; Rezzonico, Goldberg, Mak, Yap, Milburn, Baletti, & Girolametto, 2016). It is important that both monolingual and multilingual children are given access to expansive language in preschool (Norling, 2015b), an intercultural environment that supports the children’s parallel linguistic and text practices (Cummins et al, 2005) to support multilingual children’s emergent literacy processes. The analysis of the data is based on which environments and didactic strategies are described as promoting multilingual children’s emergent literacy development

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Discussion

Conclusion