Present but silent? The use of languages other than Norwegian in mainstream ECEC

The study investigated language diversity in Norwegian kindergartens. The aim is to find out which languages are spoken by employees and children, and how these languages are used in everyday life. The research question is: What languages are spoken by employees and children, and to what extent are these languages actively used in everyday life?

The study showed that both employees and children in the selected kindergarten groups spoke several languages in addition to Norwegian. However, many of the languages spoken by both employees and children were rarely or never used, and in many kindergartens, the use of languages other than Norwegian mainly occurred when parents were present or when children played without interference from the staff.

The sample consisted of student kindergarten teachers at OsloMet studying courses in language and multiculturalism. 320 students were invited, with a response rate of 15%. Data were collected through a survey answered by the students, which included multiple choice questions and open-ended questions. The data consisted of information from 47 kindergarten groups in 41 kindergartens in Eastern Norway, with a total of 726 children aged 1-6 years. The average proportion of multilingual children was 56%.

Romøren, A. S. H., Garmann, N. G., & Tkachenko, E. (2023). Present but silent? The use of languages other than Norwegian in mainstream ECEC. Nordisk barnehageforskning, 20(1).