Researching Educational Practices, Teacher Education and Professional Development for Early Language Learning

Sandie Mourão is a research fellow at Nova University Lisbon, Portugal.Carolyn Leslie is an Assistant Professor at Nova University Lisbon, Portugal.

"Mourão and Leslie’s edited collection of research studies from across Europe is a must-read for everyone concerned with teacher professional development in early language learning. Papers authored by experienced teachers, teacher educators and university professors illustrate rich experiences in professional development while also revealing how much still needs to be done if teachers are to attain a coherent professional identity rather than simply complete a checklist of so-called competencies. This volume serves as a call to action for proper investment in high quality development programmes for all teachers of early language learning."Dr Janet Enever, Professor Emerita of Language Education, Umeå University, Sweden."Good quality teacher education is widely recognised as critical to set the foundations for successful professional practice. High quality teacher education in the early/primary years, and in multilingual contexts, is equally vital yet comparatively under-researched. This volume, which brings together colleagues from across Europe presenting a diverse mix of chapters addressing key issues within teacher practices, education, and curricula, is a must-read primer for anyone interested in better understanding how to develop high quality teaching and teacher education in multilingual classrooms in the foundational stages of formal education."Dr Victoria A. Murphy, Professor of Applied Linguistics, Oxford University, UK."Focused on teacher education and early language learning, this collective effort by esteemed experts in the field fills a critical void, offering empirical insights into teachers’ professional development, and higher education contexts. Spanning diverse European contexts, it addresses multilingualism and English as a foreign language with children aged 3 to 12 in relation to both generalist and specialist teachers. From Iceland to Spain, the book intricately explores teacher practices, education, and curricula, employing case studies and innovative methodologies to ensure an active, hands-on learning experience in teacher education."Dr Danijela Prošić-Santovac, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia.

• Author biographiesAcknowledgementsIntroduction Sandie Mourão and Carolyn LesliePart 1: Researching Teacher PracticesChapter 1. The transformative power of local language encounters: Implications for teacher education Malika Pedley, David Roxburgh, Lorna Anderson and Joanna McPake Chapter 2. An investigation into linguistically and culturally responsive practices in early childhood education in Iceland Hanna Ragnarsdóttir Chapter 3. Teachers’ perceptions, classroom practices and needs in developing students’ FL literacy skill: A transnational study Mateja Dagarin Fojkar, Katarzyna Brzosko-Barratt and Raquel Fernández-FernándezChapter 4. Mixed-age primary classroom foreign language teaching: Implications for teacher education Tomáš Kos Chapter 5. Early English language learning: Exploring pedagogical practices in a pre-primary EFL class in Catalonia through systematic observationAlexandra Vraciu and Elisabet Pladevall-BallesterPart 2: Researching Teacher EducationChapter 6. Exploring multi and translingual perspectives through dominant language constellation artefacts in teacher education: Shifting perspectives Nayr Correia Ibrahim Chapter 7. Preparing teachers for multilingualism in Norwegian early childhood education and care provision through student active learning methods Elena Tkachenko, Nina Gram Garmann and Anna Sara H. Romøren Chapter 8. Climbing the ladder of global citizenship: The discourses and practices of pre-service primary English teachers in Portugal Mónica Lourenço Chapter 9. Linguistic landscapes as a resource in language teacher education Jana Roos and Howard Nicholas Chapter 10. Teaching-based master dissertations to support reflective practices when using story in early English language learning Annett Kaminski Chapter 11. In-service teacher education in English: Theorizing and critical reflection as tools for transforming teaching practices Ingebjørg Mellegård Part 3: Researching Teacher Education CurriculaChapter 12. Professional learning competences and tasks in primary English teacher education curricula in Portugal Flávia Vieira, Sandie Mourão, Ana Isabel Andrade and Ana Raquel Simões Chapter 13. Language ideologies at play in early childhood teacher education: A study of syllabi and textbooksGunhild Tomter Alstad Chapter 14. Looking at different formats of professional development in the context of EFL teacher education in CLIL programmes: An exercise in reflective practice Ana Halbach AfterwordIndex