Conference Agenda

The literature on Translanguaging has exploded in the last years, focusing on views of multilingualism, language ideologies, raciolinguistic hierarchies and pedagogical practices. Translanguaging is commonly understood as going beyond named languages, language as linguistic systems and additive bilingualism. It understands languages as social, political and cultural constructs and rejects the idea of languages as linguistic entities (Makoni & Pennycook, 2007). This perspective creates tensions for language-in-education policies and practices in many European contexts owing to curricular aims and the hierarchical position of the language(s) of instruction and home languages. For example, while policies in many European countries call for multilingualism, they simultaneously emphasize native-like competence in the dominant language(s) (Alstad & Sopanen, 2020). By contrast, translanguaging pedagogies call for inclusive, learner-centred and transglossic learning arrangements that leverage students’ entire semiotic repertoire for learning. Findings suggest that pedagogical translanguaging contributes to language learning and raises academic achievement (e.g., García & Sylvan, 2011; Lewis et al., 2012). These studies have mainly focused on school contexts and research on translanguaging in early childhood education and care (ECEC) remains rare.

The present symposium takes up the question of translanguaging as pedagogical practice in ECEC in Norway, Italy and Luxembourg and discusses ideologies, practices and interactions both theoretically and with empirical findings. While the countries differ in their linguistic landscapes and educational policies, teachers have nevertheless been found to draw on translanguaging to varying degrees and in so-called “second” and “foreign language” classes and in “multilingual education” (Kirsch & Bergeron, 2023; Pesch, 2021). In Norway, Norwegian is the main language in ECEC, while Sámi is the main language in Sámi ECEC, but all ECEC teachers are required to turn linguistic diversity into a resource for all children and encourage multilingual children to use their mother tongue. Preschool children in Italian kindergartens in the autonomous province of South Tyrol participate in L2 German and L3 English activities taught by foreign language teachers. Other home languages, however, are no taken into account. The situation differs in the officially trilingual country of Luxembourg where a program of multilingual education requires the professionals to familiarize children with Luxembourgish and French and value their home languages, for example through collaborating with parents. In sum, while different, the three countries strive to implement effective and inclusive multilingual practices. Given that all European countries need to find ways to address language diversity in education, this symposium addresses relevant questions that shape educational practices.

The first paper by Anja Maria Pesch and Gunhild Tomter Alstad from Norway explores the ongoing international discussion on translanguaging as appropriate for supporting multilingual children in their language development in ECEC in Norway. They discuss which important challenges translanguaging brings to ECEC, how translanguaging relates to central elements such as the view of the child, and how the concept needs to be contextualized when applied in the Norwegian ECEC. The second paper by Marjan Asgari and Renata Zanin examines children's multilingual language acquisition in Italian kindergartens. The findings show that the teachers' support for translanguaging between the L1 Italian and the target languages L2 German, L3 English varies, with very limited inclusion of heritage languages. Secondly, the authors found a disparity between teachers’ low complexity of output prompting and children’s high receptive competence during L2 and L3 activities. The final paper by Claudine Kirsch and Valérie Kemp explores children’s use of their linguistic repertoire and the roles they play when parents come to the ECEC setting to read in home languages. The findings show that translanguaging, which depends on the educators’ pedagogy, empowers children who act as mediators and encourage the participation of peers and adults.

The starting point for our presentation is the ongoing international discussion concerning the significance of translanguaging, the underlying view on language(s) and the ontological stance this implies for research and teaching practice (Cummins, 2021; García & Li Wei, 2014; Makoni & Pennycook, 2007). The discussion involves the question of language ideology, views on multilingualism and, as a consequence, which teaching and pedagogical practices are appropriate for supporting multilingual children and students. Central elements concern the question of monoglossic and heteroglossic ideologies, the hegemonic positioning of languages and power relations. In Nordic ECEC contexts, translanguaging as phenomenon has been applied to varying degrees and in various ways in second and multilingual language research (Pesch, 2021). Studies show that educational and language policy guidelines on multilingualism in education seem to be vague and ambiguous and that multilingualism as a concept is promoted in Northern-European education politics, while simultaneously native-like language competence appears as the norm (Alstad & Sopanen, 2020; Giæver & Tkachenko, 2020; Palviainen & Curdt-Christiansen 2020). Steering documents for ECEC involve conflicting discourses with some being characterized by more monoglossic and others by more heteroglossic ideologies. Language ideologies, on which pedagogical translanguaging is based, may be significant for both research and pedagogical practice in ECEC. In our presentation, we discuss the relevance of translanguaging and the connected language ideological debate for Norwegian ECEC. We point out how central elements, as the transfer from translanguaging in specific bilingual classrooms to linguistically diverse ECECs, raciolinguistic hierarchies and the concept of the listening subject and whitness (Flores & Rosa, 2015), need to be contexutalized in the transition from a US-American to a Norwegian and European context. Based on studies applying the concept of translanguaging in the Norwegian ECEC context, we discuss both the potential and challenges that tranlanguaging may bring to pedagogical linguistic practice in superdiverse ECECs on the one hand and on ECECs in Indigenous Sámi contexts on the other hand. While translanguaging practices may be in line with central pedagogical and professional ethical perspectives in the Norwegian ECEC context and bring with them important challenges to the language policy in the Norwegian education system, we also argue for the importance of norm-critical perspectives on translanguaging as pedagogical linguistic practices in ECEC.

Alstad, G. T., & Sopanen, P. (2020). Language orientations in early childhood education policy in Finland and Norway. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1862951 Cummins, J. (2021). Rethinking the Education of Multilingual Learners: A Critical Analysis of Theoretical Concepts. Multilingual Matters. Flores, N. & Rosa, J. (2015). Undoing Approprateness: Raciolinguistic ideologies and Language Diversity in Education. Harvard Educational Review, 85(2), 149-171. García, O. & Li Wei. (2014). Translanguaging. Language, Bilingualism and Education. Palgrave Macmillan. Giæver, K., & Tkachenko, E. (2020). Mot en ny satsing på flerspråklighet – en analyse av språkpolitiske føringer i barnehagens styringsdokumenter. Nordic Studies in Education, 40(3), 249–267. Makoni, S. & Pennycook, A. (2007). Disinventing and Reconstituting Languages. Multilingual Matters. Palviainen, Å. & Curdt-Christiansen, X. L. (2020). Language Education Policies and Early Childhood Education. I M. Schwartz (Red.), Handbook of Early Language Education. Springer International. https://doi.org/https://doi.org./10.1007/987-3-030-47073-9_7-1 Pesch, A. M. (2021). "They call me anneanne!" Translanguaging as a theoretical and pedagogical challenge and opportunity in the kindergarten context of Norway. Acta Borealia. A Nordic Journal of Circumpolar Societies. 10.1080/08003831.2021.1911200

The language acquisition of multilingual children is synchronous and complementary (Panagiotopoulou 2019: 32), therefore, translanguaging as an inclusive pedagogical approach aims to recognize all languages (Becker 2023: 204). The reconceptualization of multilingualism has shaken the deeply rooted belief of the educational system that languages should be strictly separated (Creese 2017: 6). This descriptive field study investigates children's translanguaging and interactional moves during foreign language learning activities in Italian kindergartens. The study is based on the research project "Observation of L2 German and L3 English linguistic input quality" (Asgari & Zanin 2022). School administrators, teachers and parents were informed in advance about the aims of the field study and their consent was obtained. The names of the children and any references to the participating kindergartens were anonymized in the transcripts. During two recording sessions in 7 Italian-speaking kindergartens, 74 L2-German and 14 L3-English activities (approx. 10 minutes each) were observed, videotaped, and analyzed with regard to the children's use of their heritage language (RQ1). A total of 20 exemplary activities were then transcribed and analyzed in terms of the children's meaning making process mediating between their L1 Italian and their L2 German/L3 English (RQ2). The qualitative analysis based on the methods of conversation analysis (Sacks 1992; Deppermann 2020) yielded the following results: In relation to RQ1, we found that the children resort to bilingual practices – but only between the official kindergarten L1 Italian and the L2 German/L3 English, and not in their heritage languages. The kindergarten teachers support this translanguaging to varying degrees (Asgari & Zanin 2023), but do not include the children's various other heritage languages. Regarding RQ2, we found a discrepancy between the low complexity of the teachers' output prompts and the high receptive competence of the children during the meaning-making processes. During guided acquisition of L2 German and L3 English, the children repeated isolated words in a thematic context according to the teacher's instructions. Less structured foreign language activities and everyday language situations, on the other hand, showed a much higher level of children's receptive competence in the L2/L3. The current focus on lexis during L2 and L3 activities in Italian kindergartens is to be extended to more holistic approach to language teaching through action-based communication. This would at the same time call for translanguaging strategies (García & Otheguy 2021) of teachers and children to navigate through meaning making processes in foreign languages in ECEC contexts.

Asgari, M. & Zanin, R. (2022). Language Input Observation Scheme I. Beobachtung sprachlicher Inputqualität mit dem Beobachtungsbogen LIOS I und verbalen Deskriptoren. Germanistische Mitteilungen 48, 141–168. Asgari, M. & Zanin, R. (2023). Korrektives Feedback während Kindergarten-Aktivitäten in Deutsch als Fremdsprache. Deutsch als Fremdsprache 3, 161–173. Becker, A. (2023). Identity, Power, and Prestige in Switzerland's Multilingual Education. Transcript. Creese, A. (2017). Translanguaging as an Everyday Practice. In B. A. Paulsrud, J. Rosén, B. Straszer & Å. Wedin (eds.), New Perspectives on Translanguaging and Education (pp. 1–9). Multilingual Matters. Deppermann, A. (2020). Konversationsanalyse und diskursive Psychologie. In: Mey, G. & Mruck, K. (eds.), Handbuch Qualitative Forschung in der Psychologie (pp. 1–24). Springer. García, O. & Otheguy, R. (2021). Conceptualizing Translanguaging Theory/Practice Juntos. In CUNY-New York State Initiative on Emergent Bilinguals, CUNY-NYSIEB Project (eds.), Translanguaging and Transformative Teaching for Emergent Bilingual Students: Lessons from the CUNY-NYSIEB Project. Routledge, 3–24. Panagiotopoulou, J. A (2019). Mehrsprachigkeit und Bildung in der KiTa. In E. Montanari & J. A. Panagiotopoulou (Hrsg.), Mehrsprachigkeit und Bildung in Kitas und Schulen. Eine Einführung (S. 25–79). Narr Francke Attempto. Sacks, H. (1992). Lectures on conversation. Blackwell.

Children’s early literacy experiences at home and in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) positively influence their language development and early literacy skills (Skibbe et al., 2011). Nevertheless, literacy experiences in ECEC tend to be short and seldom include children’s home languages (Michel & Kuiken, 2014). Furthermore, practitioners rarely encourage translanguaging although it facilitates communication, meaning-making and learning (Garcia & Kleifgen, 2019). One way of supporting the use of home languages in ECEC is to collaborate with parents and organise “joint literacy events”. Such events have been documented in multilingual Luxembourg where two-thirds of the young children speak more than two languages at home. To address language diversity, the Education Ministry introduced in 2017 a multilingual programme in ECEC that requires practitioners in non-formal education sectors to familiarize children with Luxembourgish and French and value their linguistic and cultural resources, as well as collaborate with families and engage in networking activities. In the project “Collaboration with parents and multiliteracies in ECEC” we have analysed joint literacy activities and the actors’ use of one or multiple languages (Aleksić et al., 2024; Kirsch & Bergeron-Morin, 2023). This presentation zooms in on two private ECEC centres, one Luxembourgish, one French, with different pedagogical approaches. We investigate, firstly children’s use of their linguistic repertoire in joint literacy activities and, secondly, the roles of two- to three-year-olds when interacting with peers and adults during these special moments. Data stem from nine video-recorded joint events of two hours in which parents communicated in their home language(s). The data were subjected to a conversation analysis (Seedhouse, 2005). The findings show that the languages in these activities were either strictly separated or used dynamically. In the former events, the children whose parents were present behaved like guests. They showed strong emotions, closed in on their parents and participated less than in the daily ECEC activities where parents were absent. In the latter situations, the children translanguaged, thereby encouraging participation and mediating between peers and adults. We concluded that parental involvement in literacy activities can have different outcomes depending on the pedagogy of the educators. Furthermore, the findings confirm that translanguaging can be transformative and contribute to well-being (Kleyn & García, 2019) as well as stimulate children’s language-based agency (Kirsch & Mortini, 2021). We conclude with implications for professionals.

Aleksić, G., Bebic-Crestany, D. & Kirsch (2024). Factors influencing communication between parents and early childhood educators in multilingual Luxembourg. International Journal of Educational Research. García, O., & Kleifgen, J. A. (2019). Translanguaging and Literacies. Reading Research Quarterly, 55(4), 553–571. Kleyn, T. & García, O. (2019). Translanguaging as an Act of Transformation. Restructuring Teaching and Learning for Emergent Bilingual Students. In L.C. de Oliveira (Ed.), The Handbook of TESOL in K-12. Wiley & Sons. Kirsch, C., & Bergeron-Morin, L. (2023). Educators, parents and children engaging in literacy activities in multiple languages: an exploratory study. International Journal of Multilingualism. Kirsch, C. & Mortini, S. (2021). Engaging in and creatively reproducing translanguaging practices with peers: a longitudinal study with three-year-olds in Luxembourg. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Michel, M. C., & Kuiken, F. (2014). Language at preschool in Europe: Early years professionals in the spotlight. European Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2(1), 1–26. Seedhouse, P. (2005). Conversation Analysis as Research Methodology. In K. Richards & P. Seedhouse (Eds.), Applying Conversation Analysis. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Skibbe, L., Connor, C, Morrison, F., & Jewkes, A. (2011). Schooling effects on preschoolers' self-regulation, early literacy, and language growth. Early Child Res Q, 26(1), 42–49.