Linguistic norms in preschool education: A critical perspective

Abstract

The aim of this article is to generate knowledge about language ideologies in teacher education in Sweden from a critical perspective. In order to achieve an equal education, we argue that it is important that teachers are able to develop an approach and pedagogy that can support all pupils despite their linguistic background to achieve the goals in school. The focus of this article is on language ideologies in teacher education for preschool teachers and how ideological and implementational spaces for language diversity is constructed and negotiated in the education. The empirical material was produced during four years through observations, individual interviews and focus group interviews with educators in the teacher education and a group of ten students in the preschool teacher program, who were admitted to the program based on their migration background. The analysis shows that there is a monolingual standardized norm for Swedish both prevailing in the teacher education and pointing towards their future jobs as preschool teachers. In order to become legitimate members in the group of preschool teacher students and a future community of practice of preschool teachers, the students adjusted to this norm. We identified ideological spaces for multilingualism in the education but the possibilities to implement them were few. Thus, there was a tension between pluralism and diversity on the one side and a strong demand for adjustment to a monolingual standardized language norm for minority students on the other side. As teacher educators we realize the value and necessity of a common language norm, and we are as scholars reproducing such norms of academic language through the writing of this article. At the same time, we argue that it is important to include a multilingual pedagogy in the teacher education that can i) include and support the linguistic repertoires of students in the program and ii) prepare students for their future work in language heterogenous preschools and schools