Language use in early childhood education

Vella, L. A. Mifsud C. & Muscat, D. (2019). Language use in Early Childhood Education Classrooms in Malta. A Report for the Ministry for Education and Employment, Malta.

This report presents findings from a survey and case-studies carried out in Maltese Kindergarten classrooms . The main objective of this study was to examine the various ways in which early childhood educators create a rich environment for children in which they use Maltese and/or English. A mixed-methods methodology was adopted. Data were collected using a questionnaire with 440 early childhood educators in State and in Church Schools, observation sessions in five classrooms (in State, Church, and Independent Schools) and in-depth interviews with the early childhood educators.