Lisää taitoja ja mahdollisuuksia varhaiskasvatukseen: Tavoitteena tasa-arvoisempi ja kielitietoisempi varhaiskasvatus

Authors

• Mari Honko University of Jyväskylä, Finland
• Sanna Mustonen University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Keywords:

language awareness, kielitietoisuus, multilingualism, monikielisyys, early childhood education, varhaiskasvatus, equality, tasa-arvo

Abstract

The realization of linguistic, cultural and social equality in multilingual Finland requires promoting language-awareness in early childhood education (Puukko ym., 2019). Encountering multiculturalism has been assessed as one of the key future competences of early childhood education (Karila ym., 2013), and growing multilingualism challenges and encourages to develop more sensitive and interactive pedagogical practices (Karila, 2016). In the spring of 2017, we conducted an online survey, which aim was to gather information and perspectives on the encounterings with multilingualism and on language-aware practices in Finnish early childhood education. The survey was aimed at early childhood education staff working in a multilingual group of children. In this paper, we look at the new skills and opportunities the early childhood education staff, based on the survey, needs in order to encounter and support multilingualism in their own work environment.