Early Childhood Seminar Series

Please join us in person for the fifth instalment of the Early Childhood Seminar Series.

Topic: Educators’ and families’ perspectives of early multilingual pedagogies in ECEC

Abstract:

Australia lags behind other linguistic and culturally diverse countries in policy direction and approaches to early multilingual education, despite well-established research documenting the multiple benefits of multilingualism in the early years. This is evidenced by the absence of a national policy framework that addresses early multilingual education in Australia, and the relatively limited attention given to research on the role of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in supporting and extending children’s home languages. In the context of this policy gap, this paper draws on Bourdieu’s framework of social practice to examine educators’ and families’ perspectives of their settings’ policy and practice in the absence of broader curriculum frameworks that inform early languages learning and teaching. Drawing on Bourdieu’s framework of social practice, I examine various pedagogical approaches implemented at the settings that validated children’s multilingualism and explore the range of opportunities afforded to multilingual children in using their home languages at the settings. The findings reveal that despite the educators’ well-developed understandings of the benefits of early multilingualism, there is some confusion regarding appropriate pedagogical approaches for multilingual support in ECEC. Findings also highlight that the parents were highly supportive of home language support in ECEC and understood the multiple benefits of early multilingual education. This paper underscores the significant role that ECEC and Community Language schools play in the provision of early languages education for young children and their families.

About the Speaker:

Dr Criss Jones Díaz is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Western Sydney University and a Researcher in the Equity for Social Justice and Inclusion Research group. Her research and publications focus on languages, literacies and identity negotiation in contexts of diversity and difference. Recent prominent co-authored and co-edited texts include ‘Diversity and Difference in Childhoods: Issues for Theory and Practice’ (2016, 2nd Ed); ‘Understanding sociological theory and pedagogical practices’ (2024, 3rd Ed: in press). She has authored numerous journal articles and book chapters pertaining to her area of expertise. With colleagues from University of Sydney and Auckland University, she is currently examining the multilingual policy gap in Australia and New Zealand for multilingual preschool children attending early childhood settings and community language schools.