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Multilingual Childhoods

Convenors:

Katri Hansell, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
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 2024 report (pdf) Martina Norling & Katri Hansell
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

EECERA 2025 Pre-conference Meeting information:

The Multilingual Childhoods SIG invites conference delegates to an EECERA 2025 pre-conference meeting on Monday, 25th of August from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The topic theme is ”Early Education for All: Celebrating Diversity and Seeking Inclusion” from a multilingual childhoods’ perspective.

As the Multilingual Childhoods SIG was established in 2015, we are celebrating our 10-year anniversary with two keynote presentations:

  • Sandie Mourão and Gunhild T. Alstad: A decade of Multilingual Childhoods In this session we will provide an overview of the activities undertaken by the Multilingual Childhoods SIG in the last decade and share some of the key moments and achievements of this important SIG.
  • Fríða Bjarney Jónsdóttir: Policy, research and practice in Iceland; How can we cocreate the education of multilingual children in a holistic, culturally sensitive and appropriate way? Policy in Iceland is in favour of enhancing active multilingualism, supporting the development of Icelandic the language of the school and society and developing positive relationships with families across languages and cultures. Nevertheless there are multiple challenges when it comes to the belonging and success of multilingual children and their families in ECE. In the presentation Fríða will discuss some of these challenges, draw on findings from her and other research and discuss the MEMM project that she is currently coordinating, where the focus is on the welcoming and education of multilingual children nationwide.

Bios for the keynote speakers

  • Gunhild T. Alstad is professor in educational linguistics at the Faculty of Education, University of Inland Norway. Her research interests involve second language/multilingual pedagogy in early childhood education and language ideologies in education. She was co-convenor of the SIG between 2015-2020, and 2022-2024.
  • Fríða B. Jónsdóttir is a preschool teacher specializing in multicultural ECE. She has contributed to research, taught in-service and pre-service teachers and participated in policy making in the field. Currently, she serves as a coordinator at the Ministry of Education and Children where she leads a two year national project focusing on the education of linguistically and culturally diverse children and youth. Her Doctoral thesis, titled “Giving Wings to Voices: Preschool as an Inclusive Learning Space for Communication and Understanding“ explores teachers‘ practices with multilingual preschool children and their families.
  • Sandie Mourão is a Senior Researcher at Nova University of Lisbon where she researches early foreign language learning.  She was co-convenor of the SIG between 2015 and 2019.

Time: Monday, August 25th from 2 – 4pm, (no registration needed)

For further 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:

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