‘Language is a part of everything’: early childhood teachers’ conceptualization of language learning

Abstract

Extending the call for sustaining linguistic dexterity down to the early years of schooling, we seek to understand what early childhood educators who work in culturally and linguistically diverse preschools know about language and language learning. Using a multi-stage, grounded theory approach, analysis of interviews with 25 early childhood educators shows that from the motivating purposes of language to the supportive partnerships necessary for language learning to flourish, these early childhood educators conceptualize language learning as an immersive, relationally rooted process that develops in the context of ongoing, classroom life. Multilingual teachers were particularly attuned to the emotional tenor of language learning in the classroom, demonstrating more evident linguistic empathy. Ultimately, the teachers emphasized the importance of developing a ‘language trust’ with children in the classroom by being patient partners in the quest to develop greater social and emotional understanding through language.