Language teacher identity and language acquisition in a South Saami preschool: A narrative inquiry

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Author
Kroik, D.
Year
2022

Purpose

The study investigates the language teacher identity of three kindergarten teachers who worked in Sámi kindergartens. The focus is on the identity of kindergarten teachers as linguistic role models by analysing their own descriptions of language learning. The purpose of the study is thus to explore how Sámi kindergarten teachers construct their language teacher identity and to find out what is important in that process. The research questions are: 1) What life experiences shape their identity as kindergarten teachers? 2) What motivates them to learn and teach the South Sámi language? 3) How do they describe their role and the role of kindergarten?

Result

The results show how kindergarten teachers took a leading position in the South Sámi language revitalisation project, and how they managed the responsibilities associated with this position. The fact that all informants moved to Sámi societies indicates that these active actors for South Sámi language revitalisation have a diverse background regarding geography, ethnicity and language. The kindergarten teachers also had positive experiences of language learning in kindergarten and in the local community. The kindergarten was a place to learn the South Sámi language, and kindergarten teachers’ language skills improved when working with the children. Based on the results, the study concludes that it is necessary to develop several kindergartens where Sámi is used as a linguistic medium to support the revitalisation of Sámi language.

Design

The researcher interviewed three kindergarten teachers with South Sámi language skills on how they learned the language, and how they worked in relation to teaching it to children. The interviews were semi-structured and the questions asked were open-ended. The informants were each interviewed once, and the interviews lasted approximately an hour. 

References

Kroik, D. (2022). Language teacher identity and language acquisition in a South Saami preschool: A narrative inquiry. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education (Online)51(2), 1– 16.