ERIC Number: EJ1300910
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1350-293X
EISSN: N/A
The Role of Play in Creating a Language-Conducive Context in a Bilingual Preschool
Schwartz, Mila; Hijazy, Sujoud; Deeb, Inas
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, v29 n3 p381-396 2021
The current study was part of a large project focusing on bilingual development in the preschool classroom context. Its aim was to theorize free play as a social and language learning activity that provides opportunities for young learners to move towards second language production. The role of free play for language development in general, and its unique contribution to L2 learning inspired our work. We applied a qualitative approach to perform close observations of eight children, four L1 Arabic-speakers and four L1 Hebrew-speakers and provided numerical data about the frequency of L2 use. The analysis revealed that free play created a fruitful language-conducive context for daring to use L2 (even with mistakes), peer language mediation, creative repetition, self-talk, focus on language form, and corrective feedback for others' incorrect usage. Theorization of the role of free play in L2 production is followed by some suggestions for field applications in preschool classrooms, engaging children coming from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Preschool Education, Preschool Children, Bilingual Education, Play, Second Language Learning, Semitic Languages, Child Behavior, Language Usage, Arabs, Jews, Classroom Environment, Language Skills, Grammar, Peer Influence, Repetition
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Israel
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A