Appreciation of English as a second language in Finnish ECEC setting

Abstract

The topic of our thesis is appreciation of English as a second language in Finnish ECEC setting. This study investigates how Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) setting in Finland, use English as a second language. Our research is on using play to teach English and identifies which play based strategies work best for young learners. This study applies Lev Vygotsky's Social Interaction theory while applying quantitative research methods. Our research proves that play helps children develop language skills which guides policy creation for multilingual teaching. This study seeks to validate the part that English as a second language (ESL) plays in ECEC settings. It aims to better understand how ESL may affect ECEC children’s language acquisition, social integration and cognitive development. Although there is a great deal of empirical study on second language education, it most often involves older children. This study aims to examine the special difficulties and benefits in teaching ESL to pre-schoolers with effective pedagogical techniques available to support early childhood ESL teaching in multiple environments. A literature analysis was conducted using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and 172 studies. Based on the analysis, 14 peer reviewed articles, which held all selection criteria, were selected. The finding indicates that all these types of learning through play and interactive storytelling, and peer collaborations not only help in the acquisition of second language but also foster cultural awareness and social and emotional skills. Furthermore, there is also structured language support, multi modal instruction, and the creation of a nurturing linguistic environment that will facilitate language learning in young children. The study also highlights that there should be different professional training for educators in linguistically sensitive pedagogy, as well as implementation of policies that support multilingual learning. This will promote positive attitudes for acquiring a second language in early childhood through an increased social understanding of the cognitive and social benefits of bilingualism. Future research can take a mixed method approach and attempt to study the long-term consequences of early ESL exposure, specifically among non-Westerners and underprivileged.

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