The perception of and motivation for foreign language learning in pre‐school

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to investigate how children aged 4–6 perceive and are motivated by foreign language learning in kindergarten. The central part of the paper focuses on the tendencies and guidelines for the teaching and learning of foreign languages at the pre‐school level and on children’s motivation for foreign language learning. It also introduces the recent practice of foreign language learning in pre‐school situations in Slovenia. The data were collected from a non‐random sample of children who were learning foreign languages (English and German) within the Network Innovative Project. The research shows that the children were highly motivated by their learning of a foreign language, which was evident in their intrinsic motivation. The children expressed the need for playful activities. They liked to learn the target language because they were actively involved (e.g. talking, singing, playing, running, etc.), felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction after task completion, and expressed their foreign language knowledge. However, some children disliked learning the foreign language and mentioned some inconvenient factors that bothered them. The children perceived the need for a learning climate that offers a pleasant, safe, and supportive classroom atmosphere.