Foreign language at the pre-primary level

Abstract

By presenting the theoretical framework and several examples of relevant studies regarding very early foreign language acquisition in the world and in Croatia, the aim of the paper is to raise awareness of the positive effects of learning English in pre-primary education. The theoretical background for early foreign language learning and acquisition is provided and complemented by descriptions of contemporary teaching methods which are based on play, environment, literature, and culture (as the key components). The paper further offers an overview of research, encompassing eight recent studies on early language acquisition in pre-primary education. The primary focus is on exploring the sample of participants, research methodology, and findings of these studies. The selection criteria for these studies are based on their relevance to the language learning domains outlined in the theory section. Through analysis, it becomes evident that researchers employ a combination of age-appropriate and child-friendly quantitative and qualitative methods. Although the studies may not support generalization due to small sample sizes, their results consistently demonstrate a positive impact of Total Physical Response (TPR), music, literature, integrated and project-based learning, as well as digitalization on vocabulary acquisition and the emergent literacy skills of pre-primary children.