A1 Journal article (refereed)
Varhaista monikielisyyttä tukemassa : kielitietoiset toimintatavat varhaiskasvatuksessa (2020)

Honko, Mari; Mustonen, Sanna (2020). Varhaista monikielisyyttä tukemassa : kielitietoiset toimintatavat varhaiskasvatuksessa. Kasvatus, 51 (4), 439-454.

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Honko, Mari; Mustonen, Sanna

Journal or series: Kasvatus

ISSN: 0022-927X

Publication year: 2020

Volume: 51

Issue number: 4

Pages range: 439-454

Publisher: Koulutuksen tutkimuslaitos

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

Open Access: Publication channel is not openly available

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/72485

Abstract

In Finland, multilingualism in the context of early childhood education has been studied mainly form the viewpoint of various local, language-weighted programmes concentrating on one or two languages. Instead, a rather uninvestigated area is how language learning and multilingualism are promoted in those early childhood education units where multilingualism is not a conscious choice of the education providers. In this article, we study multilingual, language aware practices, and attitudes towards them from the standpoint of the personnel’s lived experiences. The article is built on a web-based questionnaire that was aimed at those educators (workers in early childhood and per-school education) who had multilingual children in their groups in spring 2017. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results suggest that children’s multilingualism can be a natural part of everyday activities in early childhood education. However, there are need more support as regards the significance and implementations of language awareness.

Keywords: multilingualism; early childhood education and care; day care centres; language learning; language awareness

Free keywords: multilingualism; early childhood education; language awareness

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Preliminary JUFO rating: 2