ERIC Number: EJ1318332
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1479-0718
EISSN: N/A
Multilingual Education in Early Years in Luxembourg: A Paradigm Shift?
International Journal of Multilingualism, v18 n4 p534-550 2021
There is a call for multilingual pedagogies including the use of literacy in several languages in early childhood education. However, many practitioners find it difficult to challenge the dominant language ideologies and are unsure of how to develop literacy practices in multiple languages. This paper is based in Luxembourg where a multilingual programme has been implemented in early childhood education in 2017. The research project examines the language used in daily communication and literacy activities of educators and parents in day-care centres, as reported by educators in two online-questionnaires. The findings show that the educators and parents use multiple languages when communicating, singing and reading with children in the centres. In addition to French and Luxembourgish which dominate, they use five other languages. Their reported multilingual practice reflects their beliefs that speaking and reading in several languages promotes language learning. However, while the programme is multilingual, a range of home languages are marginalised. The educators produce a language hierarchy in the centres in which the parents reproduce. While collaboration with parents can be effective in bringing home languages into day-care centres, educators need to be aware of language hierarchies and ideologies.
Descriptors: Multilingualism, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, French, Indo European Languages, Native Language, Foreign Countries, Teaching Methods, Literacy, Early Childhood Education, Program Descriptions, Child Care Centers, Teacher Attitudes, Language Usage, Parent Child Relationship, Teacher Student Relationship, Parent School Relationship, Language Attitudes, Portuguese, German, Italian, Chinese, Slavic Languages, Creoles, Polish, Semitic Languages, Spanish, Literacy Education, Comparative Analysis, Preschool Teachers, Preschool Children
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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: Luxembourg
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A