Multilingual Childhoods

Convenors:

Gunhild Tomter Alstad, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
Martina Norling, Orebro University, Sweden 

Purpose

The Multilingual Childhoods SIG was launched at the 2015 EECERA conference in Barcelona. It has been set up with a view to bringing together researchers who are investigating the learning of two or more languages in the home, school or community by children from birth to the age of 6 years old – this includes aspects of L1 and L2 language development in contexts of awareness of languages, additional languages, foreign languages, second languages, bilingual education, and immersion.

More information about this SIG can be found on the Multiligual Childhoods SIG website.

Objectives

• To bridge the areas of multilingualism and early years education;
• To promote and disseminate research in early years multilingualism and its implementation in policy and practice;
• To create opportunities for informed and constructive discussion and debate;
• To foster possibilities for cross-national collaboration and interaction.

Report

Click here to view the 2021 report (pdf) Mila Schwartz & Beatriz Cortina Pérez
Click here to view the 2020 report (pdf) Gunhild Tomter Alstad & Mila Schwartz
Click here to view the 2018 report (pdf) Sandie Mourão & Gunhild Tomter Alstad
Click here to view the 2016 report (pdf) Sandie Mourão & Gunhild Tomter Alstad
Click here to view the 2015 report (pdf) Sandie Mourão & Gunhild Tomter Alstad

News & Events

For information on any upcoming SIG meetings, please contact the convenors.

Activities & Publications

For publications list please see Multilingual childhoods Research Network

SIG activity for 2017-2018

Participation of SIG members in:

• Publication: Schwartz, M. (Ed.) (2018). Preschool Bilingual Education: Agency in Interactions between Children, Teachers, and Parents. Multilingual Education Series. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer
• Conference: AILA ELL ReN conference ‘Early Language Learning: Multiple Perspectives – Diverse Voices’, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, 13 – 15 June, 2018
• EECERA Pre-conference in Budapest, 28 August, 2018: ‘Approaches to research with multilingual children’ (afternoon meeting)
• Preparation of four thematic symposia for the 2018 annual conference

Links & Partners

The multilingual Childhood SIG is partnered with REYLL, Research in Early Years Language Learning a research community  involved in investigating children and languages in the early years.

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