Singing as language learning activity in multilingual toddler groups in preschool.

This study deals with learning activities at daycare centres which support language development in children from multilingual environments. Focus is on singing activities as a language learning activity for a total of ten children aged 1-3 years in eight Swedish daycare centres.

The study concludes that singing activities controlled by adults allow the child to participate through other modes of expression than language. Singing activities can help build methods of communication which contribute to improving language development in children from a multilingual environment.

The study shows that singing activities controlled by adults in day-nursery groups (1-3 years) can support language development and communicative skills in the children. Singing activities offer the children different methods of communication which can become a resource for the child, and include gestures, new words, rhythm as well as the opportunity to repeat different language activities.

Moreover, the study shows how children use singing as a resource to participate and communicate with other children in child-initiated activities, including other children with different native languages. In this way, the singing activities are an opportunity for children to learn from one another, despite language differences.

The data basis for the study is observations of participants and video footage collected over a period of six months in eight different daycare centres from five different socio-economic areas in Sweden. Ten children from a multilingual environment aged 1.7 years to 2.11 years were filmed once a month for six months, and this resulted in 47 hours of video material. This data was analysed on the basis of a socio-cultural perspective which has roots in Vygotsky's theory on the zone of proximal development.

Kultti, A. (2013). Singing as language learning activity in multilingual toddler groups in preschool. Early Child Development and Care, 183 (12), 1955-1969.