Book announced at https://linguistlist.org/issues/35-2863

Title: Early Foreign Language Learning and Teaching
Subtitle: Evidence Versus Wishful Thinking
Series Title: Second Language Acquisition
Publication Year: 2024

Publisher: Multilingual Matters
http://www.multilingual-matters.com/
Book URL: https://www.multilingual-matters.com/page/detail/?K=9781800418691

Editor(s): Marianne Nikolov, Stela Letica Krevelj

Reviewer: Natalia Martinez-Leon

SUMMARY

Subjects

Language & Literature, Library Science, Education

Editorial and Thematic Cohesion

The book is praised for its well-organized structure and thematic cohesion. The editors maintain continuity across chapters by linking research findings to broader pedagogical and policy themes. Each chapter is grounded in practical teaching implications and concludes with suggestions for future research.

Target Audience and Contributions

Researchers: Offers inspiration and practical frameworks for new research.

Policy Makers and Educators: Provides critical insights into curriculum development, assessment practices, and language education policies.

This volume is dedicated to Prof. Jelena Mihaljević Djigunović, whose substantial contribution to the fields of teaching modern languages to young learners and the role of affective factors in language learning are recognized.

Comprising 19 chapters and two interviews, the book presents a rich array of ethical, methodological, instructional, and policy perspectives. The chapters are thematically organized, progressing from research methodologies to instructional strategies, learner perspectives, assessment practices, cognitive factors, and policy implications

Interviews

Chapter 1: Transcript of the conversation held with Prof. Richard Johnstone titled “Learners can be applied to children, teachers and all stakeholders” done not live and online, but due to circumstances, an interview in written form. Prof. Johnstone provides a broad perspective on the evolution of early language education, setting the basis for the remaining chapters. Mention is made of the annual reviews of research on language learning and teaching, highlighting new “themes” that have become prominent the year; these annual reviews showed the evolution of the field, discussing “two worlds, the world of policy into practice and the world of big picture research.” He discusses the "two worlds" of language education—policy-to-practice and macro-level research—alongside emerging themes such as translanguaging, parental roles, motivation, and contextual factors.

Chapter 2: Interview with Prof. Mihaljević Djigunović exploring her interest in early foreign language learning: how in her initial teaching practice she realized that L1 interferences, language transfer and a teacher´s disregard for difficulties of young learners may affect learner behaviour, and the phenomenon of demotivation. She also talks about the local context and pioneering research in the field of early language learning in Croatia. She encourages new scholars to adopt mixed-methods approaches, consider learner-teacher-context interactions, and collaborate across disciplines.

Part I: Research Methods and Ethics (Chapters 3–5)
The following three chapters explore issues connected with research methods and ethical considerations:
Chapter 3 (Pinter): Emphasizes ethical research with young learners, advocating for participatory approaches and informed consent. The chapter focuses on changes and development in research methods and approaches to child L2 and FL education over the years. It also highlights the importance of seeing children as active agents in research.

Chapter 4 (Cohen): The use of verbal report to describe strategies used by YLL. The chapter explores verbal reports (evaluation and assessment) as a research tool, offering a classification system and analysis strategies for understanding young learners' language strategies.

Chapter 5 (Goto Butler): Expands on verbal reports but as an instructional tool for young SL learners. She conducts an intervention study with Japanese English learners (32, 6th graders) using paired retrospection in Japan. Findings suggest this method boosts communication and collaboration but is less effective for linguistic objectives.

Part II: Input, Interaction, and Learning (Chapters 6–9)

This section revolves around quality of input and output and interaction in learning and its influence in YLL education.

Chapter 6 (Vallbona & Tragant): Set in technology-mediated learning environments, the chapter compares face-to-face vs. instant messaging among Spanish learners, discussing peer interaction and L1 use as an important tool for language learning and L2 practice that provides cognitive support and fulfils social and linguistic functions in peer interaction. Their chapter sheds light on the use of metatasks and metalanguage episodes among young EFL learners when performing collaborative creative tasks in two modalities: FTF and IM. Face-to-face yields richer linguistic and metalinguistic output.

Chapter 7 (Carmel & Nikolov): Examines translanguaging in Israeli EFL multilingual and multicultural classrooms. Teachers primarily use their repertoire (L1) for classroom management, to establish rapport, to scaffold learning, and to maintain motivated behaviour and ensure understanding but struggle with creating multilingual learning environments. The research participants were 8 in-service female certified English teachers with varied teaching experience and were observed in 10 EFL lessons with a total of 238 young EFL learners.

Chapter 8 (Muñoz, Avello & Pujadas): Investigates vocabulary acquisition of vocabulary in L2 by YL through audiovisual input in Chile and Spain. The study was carried out with primary school learners (120 participants being 4th and 5th graders) and secondary school learners (106 EFL 8th graders). Greater vocabulary gains are linked to pre/post-viewing activities and existing vocabulary knowledge. The outcomes confirmed the benefits from frequent viewing of L2 videos, playing an important role in `learners’ proficiency.

Chapter 9 (Vickov & Jakupčević): Analyzes cultural content in Croatian EFL textbooks (years 1-4 in primary schools). The chapter surveys 24 textbooks in six series, all officially approved by the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia to be used in 2022/23. The authors highlight inconsistencies concerning the range of culture-related vocabulary in textbooks, especially in early grades, and underrepresentation of learners' L1 cultures.

Part III: Multilingualism and Oracy (Chapters 10–11)

Chapter 10 (Fenyvesi & Jensen): Introduces Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) in Danish multilingual classrooms to enhance students’ metalinguistic awareness and promote use of minority languages in classrooms. NSM supports metalinguistic awareness and minority language use addressing teachers’ and students’ needs for learning an additional language maintaining their heritage languages. They worked with 31 fourth graders in Denmark.

Chapter 11 (Lopriore): Titled Early Language Oracy Development: Challenges from Research in Multilingual Contexts, this chapter emphasizes the importance of translanguaging and plurilingual practices in developing oracy in multilingual contexts. It mentions classroom practices that draw on learners' full language repertoires to develop oracy.

Part IV: Learner Perspectives (Chapters 12–14)

Chapter 12 (Erk): Surveys Croatian learners’ beliefs about early EFL instruction, discussing English at the primary vs. pre-primary level. While early start is generally assumed beneficial, students’ attitudes are mixed and context dependent. The sample involved two nearby schools, with 70 learners who had already had at least 490 English lessons in their primary school. Parents also contributed information about the type of EFL learning on the consent form. The study involved 134 learners (aged 9-15) of Spanish as a FL at three primary schools in three large urban areas. The research shows that an optimal starting age for FL learning should consider individual and contextual factors.

Chapter 13 (Jelić): Explores Croatian learners’ motivation to study Spanish. Early learning of Spanish in the Croatian context has recently been introduced as an elective subject and a second FL in some larger urban areas across the country, with Spanish being the 5th most often learned FL in the education system of the country. Teacher influence and informal exposure (e.g., soccer culture) are strong motivators.

Chapter 14 (Lugossy): Longitudinal case study of early exposure to English literature shows long-term benefits in cognitive, emotional, and multilingual development. The chapter shares children’s literature (narratives) written in English, mostly picture books, by two Hungarian adults with extensive experience with books during their childhood. The author shares her personal experience with her two children when they were very young and read picture books, fairy tales and novels, for the pleasure of reading, discussing them later. Over the years, she interviewed them and kept diary entries on their reading experiences.

Part V: Assessment and Teacher Perspectives (Chapters 15–16)

Chapter 15 (Bagarić Medve & Pavičić Takač): Looking back to look forward compares Croatian assessment practices over 15 years. The chapter reviews Croatian teachers’ evolving assessment practices over 15 years, noting improved assessment literacy. 46 questionnaires by English and/or German teachers in Croatia are studied. Positive changes in assessment literacy are noted, with increased use of varied and appropriate techniques for the benefit of learners.

Chapter 16 (Savić & Prošić-Santovac): Reports that Serbian teachers still rely on summative assessments for older learners but are increasingly using creative approaches with younger students. The mixed-method approach study calls for better training and professional development. The questionnaire was distributed online and completed by 40 primary EFL teachers in Spring 2022. The chapter also calls for enhanced professional development.

Part VI: Cognitive and Policy Dimensions (Chapters 17–19)

Chapter 17 (Čengić): Investigates cognitive factors in young learners’ language aptitude in Croatia, emphasizing the predictive value of general analytic abilities. It researches YLs’ language aptitude in Croatian young learners and their language analytic ability. This study is part of a larger project testing a model of YLs’ FL aptitude during early stages of literacy development. They conclude domain-general analytic abilities play a significant role in predicting language learning success.

Chapter 18 (Flynn & Singleton): Discusses specific language policy issues in Ireland, in particular the “Say Yes to Languages” initiative (2021). They describe the SL teaching and learning in Ireland, the (re)introduction of additional languages into the primary-school curriculum (called modern foreign languages) such as French, Spanish, German and Italian (2023). They emphasize teacher support and plurilingual awareness.

Chapter 19 (Peng & Huang): Explores family language policies in China’s Three Gorges Region. They conducted a comprehensive three-month investigation combining online and offline methodologies. They targeted 1st and 2nd secondary school students and parents in the Wanzhou District. Three hundred twenty-three completed parental questionnaires offered insight into the views of a large sample of the student population (401). The research reveals shifting language ideologies influenced by socio-economic change. Putonghua is considered crucial for daily life; English is seen as key for academics and global engagement, while local dialects maintain cultural identity.

Conclusion

This volume is a comprehensive and multidimensional contribution to the field of early foreign language education. Through empirical research, theoretical insights, and real-world classroom practices, it deepens our understanding of young language learners. The diversity of cultural contexts, learner voices, and methodological approaches makes it a valuable resource for scholars, educators, and policy makers alike.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Natalia Martínez-León. PhD professor and researcher at the University of Granada. Belonging to the research project research "Design of a teacher profile for pre-primary Education from a plurilingual approach: learning foreign and additional languages in early childhood (LEyLA)". Areas of specialization: early- age multilingualism, multilingual education, CLIL, pre-K education, ICLHE, educational technology and transnational literacies, linguistic landscape and its educational use.