Linguistic openness in preschool education

Linguistic openness in preschool education

Introduction

Compared to adults, children find it easier to learn a foreign language other than their native language, as adults are more attached to their native language, especially in the case of a significant difference between the two languages.

On this basis, we find that linguistic exposure activities have an important role if they are programmed at an early age since it is during this stage that the child will have more neural connections than adults: The presence of the mother tongue is still in its infancy and has not yet reached a significant stage.

A child is more capable of learning a foreign language than an adult for several reasons related to brain development and language development at an early age:

- First, in childhood, the brain is able to assimilate information and languages more easily due to its high malleability and rapid formation of neural connections.

- Secondly : At an early age, a child is still not limited to a specific language pattern, unlike adults who have fixed language patterns and acquired learning habits, and this can be a hindrance when learning a new language fully.

- Thirdly : The presence of the mother tongue at the beginning of learning can be an additional and supportive resource for new learning, as there are overlaps and similarities between languages that may help the child identify meanings and understand the rules of the foreign language based on prior knowledge of the mother tongue.

In light of these reasons, language openness at an early age is an important key to acquiring foreign languages more easily and efficiently. Exposing the child to other languages at an early age through language exposure activities enhances the utilization of this sensitive period in the development of language, communication, and language abilities later on.

Linguistic openness:

The definition of linguistic openness refers to a child's ability to develop and acquire language skills comprehensively during his/her time in primary education.

This stage is considered one of the most important stages in the development of the child's language, as he acquires basic language skills that affect his thinking and interaction with the world around him.

This pedagogical approach aims to sensitize the child to the existence of a range of different languages and make him discover them. It is a new way of dealing with languages in school by multiplying opportunities to pass from one language to another by relying on what children know in one to better understand the other by discovering what is similar or different between them in a multilingual orientation. Multilingualism and interaction between languages is considered an important point in modern teaching and learning, as it can have a positive impact on the child's linguistic, social and intellectual development.

Through this approach, children are given multiple opportunities to learn about and interact with different languages. This is done by providing a multilingual learning environment where the child actively engages with more than one language and instead of focusing on teaching each language separately, the child can rely on the knowledge they already possess in one language to better understand and discover other languages, and the child can discover what is similar and different between languages, which helps them build connections between them and enhance their overall understanding of languages.

This pedagogical approach seeks to encourage curiosity and exploration in the child and foster interest in different languages, and ultimately, this approach may contribute to enhancing the child's communication and multicultural skills, thus enhancing their overall learning experience.

Goals of linguistic openness:

Openness to multilingualism can accomplish many goals:

- Cultural openness and understanding the world Linguistic openness helps the child by discovering the difference in daily reality in different cultures and different cultural styles, which increases their understanding of cultural diversity and appreciation of the country's cultural heritage.

- Establishing a sense of difference and tolerance Linguistic openness contributes to building a sense of respect and tolerance towards others and respecting their differences, which promotes peaceful coexistence and mutual respect.

- Develops expression and communication ability Allows the child to learn and interact with a variety of languages, which contributes to the development of a richer and more versatile expression, and improves their ability to communicate effectively.

- Enhance language acquisition Thanks to repeated exposure to different languages, a child can acquire the ability to understand and use different languages, improving their ability to communicate with others who use different languages.

- Develop curiosity about language and enjoy using vocabulary and sounds Linguistic exposure encourages children to develop a sense of curiosity about language and a desire to explore and use it creatively and enjoyably.

- Strengthen the ability to formulate hypotheses and listen to others for understanding Through exposure to different languages and discovering the differences and similarities between them, a child can develop their ability to formulate hypotheses, analyze the situation, and listen to the different opinions and ideas of others in order to achieve greater understanding. In addition, linguistic openness helps promote the child's mental and social development in general, and contributes to building an open and receptive personality to diversity and pluralism.

- Developing communication skills, linguistic openness helps children develop effective communication skills, enabling them to express themselves and better understand others, thereby enhancing social interaction and contributing to building positive relationships with peers and adults.

- Enhance thinking and creativity Through language learning and use, a child's critical thinking and creativity skills are developed, and they are able to formulate and express ideas and concepts more accurately and comprehensively.

- Improve literacy skills, language exposure in early education is the foundation for later literacy development, and children who have a good base of language skills at this stage are better prepared to learn to read and write.

- Developing children's vocabulary When children learn a variety of words and vocabulary in different contexts, it enriches their language repertoire, enabling them to communicate more richly and expressively.

- Developing social skills Linguistic openness helps develop other social skills, such as problem-solving skills and reasoning, as the child learns how to deal with different situations using language, boosting self-confidence When a child finds that he is able to communicate and express clearly, it increases his self-confidence, as linguistic openness helps build a positive self-image. 

- Preparing for later schooling Children who are linguistically open-minded in preschool are better prepared to face the challenges of later schooling.

- Expand their cultural horizons By learning multiple languages and acquiring new vocabulary, children can explore different cultures.

In general:

It can be said that linguistic openness contributes to the development of the child's personality in a comprehensive manner and enhances his linguistic, social and mental abilities, which positively affects his educational and life path in the future.

To achieve these goals, educators and family members play an important role in providing a language-rich environment, encouraging the child to communicate, interact, listen, read and express in different ways, as learning activities play a big role in promoting linguistic openness.