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Dynamic language use in bi/multilingual early childhood education contexts: A critical review of the literature

Description:
The population of students learning and using more than one language in the United States has more than doubled in the past 30 years. This is especially true in early childhood, which makes it crucial that educators of young emergent bilingual children understand and support these young children’s bi/multilingual development, including critically understanding the implication of adopting different perspectives of bi/multilingualism. Although much is known about classroom practices in support of emergent bilingual children in Kindergarten and beyond, less is known about those practices in the early years. This article provides a systematic review of relevant qualitative empirical studies that investigated teachers’ and children’s naturalistic language use in bi/multilingual early childhood education settings. The authors identify several strategic languaging practices enacted by both teachers and children across different language approaches, and strategies for fostering these practices; as well as ways in which teachers leverage their agency through their languaging practices depending on the language policy of each program. Implications for future research, practice, professional development, and policy are discussed. (author abstract)
Resource Type:
Literature Review

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