Ireland’s Early Childhood Curriculum Framework Through the Lens of Plurilingualism

Abstract

This paper argues for a more systematic introduction of plurilingual pedagogies in Ireland’s early childhood curriculum framework. Plurilingualism as a pedagogical approach encourages the educator to engage in the use of multiple languages with the aim of fostering children’s confidence in developing their own plurilingual repertoires. The article challenges the dominance of the prevalent monolingual mindset, which pervades much of Ireland’s early childhood education policy discourse, and proposes a pluralistic approach that can serve both as an enhancement of the current lack of language policies in the early childhood sector and as a foundation for the continuum between preschool and primary school. The paper examines Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework used in Ireland’s preschools and early childhood settings, identifying its strengths in placing language and communication at the heart of educators’ practices, as well as its pitfalls and potential improvements in the conceptualization and application of plurilingual practices in early childhood settings.