Multilingualism and heritage languages in early childhood education: Amplifying a call to action

On Demand

Teacher-child interactions, or conversational turns, are among the most important hallmarks of a high-quality early childhood education setting. However, a growing body of research using LENA technology has shed light on just how inequitable the quantity of those interactions may be. These inequities disproportionately affect linguistically minoritized groups and dual language learners whose teachers do not speak their heritage language.  

In this webinar, LENA’s researchers will expand on their findings about dual language learners in child care and preschool settings with a new dataset. These findings will act as a springboard to a solutions-based discussion, inviting perspectives from experts and advocates on supporting dual language learners and honoring heritage languages in early childhood education.