Taking play seriously in the pre-primary English classroom

Mourão, Sandie

doi:10.1093/elt/ccu018

Cited by 24 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…According to Mikulec and Rogulj (2023, p. 122), the fundamental principle of play is related to a child's learning during playtime that takes place in various situations and places with a certain continuity. Mourão (2014) advocates for an interchange between child-initiated and adult-led learning which she refers to as The play spiral. The author claims that the play spiral leads to practice, repetition, acquisition, reconstruction, and adaptation of language which leads to the fusion of a child with the English language through play, with adults acting as planners or mediators.…”

Section: Playmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foreign language at the pre-primary level

Vrček,

Cindrić,

Hanžić Deda

2024

Napredak (Online)

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By presenting the theoretical framework and several examples of relevant studies regarding very early foreign language acquisition in the world and in Croatia, the aim of the paper is to raise awareness of the positive effects of learning English in pre-primary education. The theoretical background for early foreign language learning and acquisition is provided and complemented by descriptions of contemporary teaching methods which are based on play, environment, literature, and culture (as the key components). The paper further offers an overview of research, encompassing eight recent studies on early language acquisition in pre-primary education. The primary focus is on exploring the sample of participants, research methodology, and findings of these studies. The selection criteria for these studies are based on their relevance to the language learning domains outlined in the theory section. Through analysis, it becomes evident that researchers employ a combination of age-appropriate and child-friendly quantitative and qualitative methods. Although the studies may not support generalization due to small sample sizes, their results consistently demonstrate a positive impact of Total Physical Response (TPR), music, literature, integrated and project-based learning, as well as digitalization on vocabulary acquisition and the emergent literacy skills of pre-primary children.

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Section: Playmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foreign language at the pre-primary level

Vrček,

Cindrić,

Hanžić Deda

2024

Napredak (Online)

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“…Implementation of child-centered pedagogical approaches allows children to use English as a foreign language naturally and in a playful manner (Mourão 2014). Suitable materials include the traditionally used flashcards, songs, storybooks, etc.…”

Section: Technology Media and Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

English as a Foreign Language in Early Language Education

Prošić-Santovac

Savić

2021

Handbook of Early Language Education

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“…In essence, we acknowledge therefore the potential of fostering preschool children's language repertoire through dynamic peer interactions in free play situations, regardless of the different language profiles. This is most relevant when considering that playin particular free playhas been placed at the centre of the early childhood curriculum for over a century and has a number of forms; however, it is child-initiated play that is considered essential in children's development (Mourão 2014).…”

Section: Translanguaging and Language Learning Opportunities In Conversation Among Peersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young children as actors of institutional language policies and practices in day care centres

Lourêiro

Neumann

2020

European Journal of Applied Linguistics

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As children’s agency in influencing institutional language practices is often not carefully reflected in early childhood education curricula, the objective of this paper is to offer meaningful insights about how institutional language policies are both reproduced and transformed by children’s everyday use of language. For this purpose, we will combine conceptual resources from social theory, sociolinguistics and childhood studies in order to analyse children’s linguistic behaviour by applying a structure-agency perspective as a relational approach. Drawing on data from ethnographic field research within institutional day care centres in Luxembourg, our findings demonstrate that the status of children as actors in institutional language practices is strongly connected to institutional policies as a structural condition. However, this does not mean that children just enact these language policies, because they are actors of both maintaining, undermining and alternating them. In this respect, especially the translanguaging of children and caregivers plays a crucial role in the Luxembourgish context as it allows to build a bridge between the official institutional language policy and the individual linguistic repertoires. Considering the goal of establishing a plurilingual environment in early childhood education which now is paramount to the educational language policy of the Luxembourgish government, this article suggests that translanguaging practices should be considered as one of the key starting points to create a plurilingual ecology in and through everyday practice in the day care centres.

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Taking play seriously in the pre-primary English classroom

Cited by 24 publications

References 1 publication

Foreign language at the pre-primary level

Foreign language at the pre-primary level

English as a Foreign Language in Early Language Education

Young children as actors of institutional language policies and practices in day care centres

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