Catalyzing Experiences: Early Childhood Teachers’ Stories of Bridging Cultural and Linguistic Divides

• In Event: Stories That Shape Us: Educators Weaving Culture, Identity, and Belonging

Abstract

We interviewed 25 teachers working in linguistically and culturally mixed classrooms about language learning in early childhood. The teachers held a relationally rooted view of language learning in which children learned language through use with patient partners in pursuit of child-led, real world ends. Aiming to understand their preparation for teaching language in early childhood, we found that teachers’ rarely named classes or trainings related to language learning. Instead, the teachers told stories about real world, catalyzing experiences of bridging cultural and linguistic divides. For teachers, experiences in which they did not speak the language shared by the group offered powerful insight into the experiences of multilingual children who did not always have the words to say what they mean.

Author

• Erin E. Flynn, University of Michigan