Cover not available

Article published In: Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education
Vol. 4:1 (2016) ► pp.59–85

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
authorization required

Early years immersion

Learning from children’s playroom experiences

 | University of Stirling
 | University of Strathclyde
 | University of Glasgow
 | University of Edinburgh
Published online: 11 March 2016
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.4.1.03ste
This paper considers the pedagogic challenges encountered in preschool settings which strive to provide high quality learning experiences across the curriculum for three- to five-year olds while also immersing them in a second language. In our effort to develop an empirically and theoretically informed foundation for the development of pedagogic practices in Gaelic-medium preschools in Scotland, we draw on literature from early years education and from early total immersion, particularly in relation to language revitalisation initiatives, and report the findings from our study of the everyday experiences of young learners in three Gaelic-medium playrooms. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges for early years practitioners charged with meeting the goals of both the early years curriculum and early language immersion. It proposes theoretical foundations from which a specific pedagogy and professional practice model for preschool immersion education can be developed, to ensure that these goals are integrated rather than in tension.
References (60)
References
Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (5th ed.). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bangma, I., & Riemersma, A. (2011). Multilingual Early Language Transmission (MELT). Summary of relevant literature on early multilingual learning, related to European smaller state and regional & minority language communities. Ljouwert, Netherlands: Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Barac, R., Bialystok, E., Castro, D.C., & Sanchez, M. (2014). The cognitive development of young dual language learners: A critical review. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(4), 699–714. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bertram, T., & Pascal, C. (2002). Assessing what matters in the early years. In J. Fisher (Ed.), The foundations of learning (pp. 87–101). Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bòrd na Gàidhlig. (2014). Annual Report 2013–14. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (2013). National Gaelic education strategy. Gaelic medium early years strategy 2013–2016. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (2012). National Gaelic language plan 2012–2017. Growth and Improvement. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bowman, B.T., Donovan, M.S., & Burns, M.S. (2000). Eager to learn: Educating our preschoolers. Washington DC: The National Academies Press. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bruner, J. (2002). Making stories: Law, literature, life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brutt-Griffler, J. (2002). World English. A study of its development. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Burchinal, M.R., Roberts, J.E., Riggins, R., Zeisel, S.A., Neebe, E., & Bryant D. (2000). Relating quality of center-based child care to early cognitive and language development longitudinally. Child Development, 71(2), 339–357. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Carr, M., & Lee, W. (2012). Learning stories: Constructing learner identities in early education. London: Sage.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Edelenbos, P., Johnstone, R., & Kubanek, A. (2006). The main pedagogical principles underlying the teaching of languages to very young learners. European Commission: Brussels. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Education Scotland. (n.d.a). Foghlam tro mheadhan na Gaidhlig / Gaelic medium education. Livingstone: Education Scotland. Retrieved from [URL].
. (n.d.b). Understanding the curriculum as a whole. Livingstone: Education Scotland. Retrieved from [URL].
Gillies, W. (1993). Gaelic. In M.J. Ball & J. Fife (Eds.), The Celtic languages (pp. 145–227). London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grogan, D., & Martlew, J. (2013). Early schooling. In T.G.K. Bryce, W.M. Humes, D. Gillies, & A. Kennedy (Eds.), Scottish education (4th ed.) (pp. 355–364). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hickey, T. (1997). Early immersion education in Ireland: Na Naíonraí. Dublin: Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (2001). Mixing beginners and native speakers in minority language immersion: Who is immersing whom? Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, 57(3), 443–474. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (2007). Children’s language networks in minority language Immersion: What goes in may not come out. Language and Education, 21(1), 46–65. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (2011). Immersion preschooling provision in Ireland: Training provision and best practice. In I. Bangma & A. Riemersma (Eds.), Multilingual early language transmission (MELT) (pp. 101–111). Ljouwert, Netherlands: Mercator European Research Centre on Multilingualism and Language Learning.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hickey, T., & de Mejía, A.-M. (2014). Immersion education in the early years: A special issue. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 17(2), 131–143. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hickey, T., Lewis, G., & Baker, C. (2014). How deep is your immersion? Policy and practice in Welsh-medium preschools with children from different language backgrounds. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 17(2), 215–234. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
House, J. (2003). English as a lingua franca: A threat to multilingualism? Journal of Sociolinguistics, 7(4), 556–578. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Howe, C., & Mercer, N. (2007) Children’s development, Peer interaction and classroom learning: Research Survey 2/1b for the Primary Review. Cambridge: Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kirkpatrick, A. (2007). World Englishes: Implications for international communication and English language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lewis, W. (2008). Current challenges in bilingual education in Wales. In J. Cenoz & D. Gorter (Eds.), Multilingualism and minority languages: Achievements and challenges in education, AILA Review 21 (pp. 69–86). Amsterdam: International Association of Applied Linguistics.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
May, S. (2013). Indigenous immersion education: International developments. Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education, 1(1), 34–69. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Meadows, S. (2006). The child as thinker: The development and acquisition of cognition in childhood. London: Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mhic Mhathuna, M. (2012) Creativity, child initiative and language acquisition in a language planning project . Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the European Early Childhood Education Research Association, Oporto, Portugal.
Mitchell, R. (1992). The ‘independent’ evaluation of bilingual primary education: A narrative account. In J.C. Alderson & A. Beretta (Eds.), Evaluating second language education (pp. 100–140). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Murray, J., & Morrison, C. (1984). Bilingual primary education in the Western Isles, Scotland. Stornoway: Acair.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Muysken, P. (2000). Bilingual speech: A typology of code-mixing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
National Records of Scotland. (2013). 2011 Census: Key results on population, ethnicity, identity, language, religion, health, housing and accommodation in Scotland - Release 2A. Edinburgh: National Records of Scotland. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
O’Hanlon, F., Paterson, L., & McLeod, W. (2012). Language models in Gaelic-medium pre-school, primary and secondary education. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ó Murchú, H. (1987). Pre-primary in some European lesser-used languages: Overview and synthesis of dossiers established on some forms of current pre-primary provisions in the lesser used languages in EC member states. Dublin: European Bureau of Lesser-Used Languages.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Paterson, L., O’Hanlon, F., Ormston, R., & Reid, S. (2014). Public attitudes to Gaelic and the debate about Scottish autonomy. Regional and Federal Studies, 24(4), 429–450. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pramling Samuelsson, I., & Carlsson, M.A. (2008). The playing learning child: Towards a pedagogy of early childhood. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 52(6), 623–641. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Roberts, T.A. (2014). Not so silent after all: Examination and analysis of the silent stage in childhood second language acquisition. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 291, 22–40. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Robson, S. (2012). Developing thinking and understanding in young children. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rogoff, B. (2003). The cultural nature of human development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Scottish Executive. (2007). Building the Curriculum 2: Active learning in the early years. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Scottish Government. (2014). Pupil census 2014 supplementary data. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Sylva, K. (2004). Researching pedagogy in English preschools. British Educational Research Journal, 30(5), 713–730. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Smidt, S. (2007). A guide to early years practice (3rd ed.). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Södergård, M. (2008). Teacher strategies for second language production in immersion kindergarten in Finland. In D.J. Tedick & T.W. Fortune (Eds.), Pathways to Multilingualism: Evolving perspectives on immersion education (pp. 152–176). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Stephen, C. (2003). What makes all-day provision satisfactory for three- and four-year olds? Early Child Development and Care, 173(6), 577–588. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (2006). Early years education: Perspectives from a review of the international literature. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Education Department. Retrieved from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (2012). Looking for theory in preschool education. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 31(3), 227–238. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Stephen, C., McPake, J., & McLeod, W. (2012). Playing and learning in another language: Ensuring good quality early years education in a language revitalisation programme. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 20(1), 21–33. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (2013). A Vygotskian sociocultural perspective on immersion education: The L1/L2 debate. Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education, 1(1), 101–129. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sylva, K., Melhuish, E., Sammons, P., Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Taggart, B. (Eds.). (2010). Early childhood matters: Evidence from the effective pre-school and primary education project. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sylva, K., Roy, C., & Painter, M. (1980). Childwatching at playgroup and nursery school. London: Grant McIntyre.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Thomas, G. (2011a). How to do your case study. London: Sage.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (2011b). The case: Generalisation and theory in case study. Oxford Review of Education, 37(1), 21–35. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wilson, M. (2013). Childcare and early education. In T.G.K. Bryce, W.M. Humes, D. Gillies, & A. Kennedy (Eds.), Scottish education (4th ed.) (pp. 345–354). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wong Fillmore, L. (1985). When does teacher talk work as input? In S. Gass & C. Madden (Eds.), Input in second language acquisition (pp. 17–50). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wood, D., Bruner, J.S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 171, 89–100. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wood, D., & Wood, H. (1996). Vygotsky, tutoring and learning. Oxford Review of Education, 221, 5–16. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (2)

Cited by two other publications

Protassova, Ekaterina
2021. Early Language Education in Russia. In Handbook of Early Language Education [Springer International Handbooks of Education, ], ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Protassova, Ekaterina
2022. Early Language Education in Russia. In Handbook of Early Language Education [Springer International Handbooks of Education, ], ► pp. 813 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 13 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue