Australian multilingual early childhood educators’ use of languages in early childhood education settings: findings of a qualitative (pilot) study

Dynamic and innovative pedagogical language experiences for young children can support development of children’s diverse linguistic knowledge. However, planning and implementing this pedagogy can be challenging for early childhood (EC) educators. This study uses a Bourdieusian theoretical lens to explore how three Australian multilingual EC educators use their linguistic capabilities, knowledge and skills in EC education settings. The article reports on research that analyzes language maps created by the three EC educators about how they use languages in their everyday lives and with young children. Interview data provided further information about the language maps and the EC educators’ language use in EC education settings. The findings show that supporting children’s multilingual development facilitates a sense of belonging for children within EC education contexts. We argue that the linguistic capital of the EC educators is underpinned by a form of emotional capital.