Children live in an increasingly diverse and multi-cultural world. This means that language learning pathways have become as individual and unique as the young learners themselves. These language learning pathways are marked by both big and small learning steps and developments, and reflect the age, (developmental) stage and interests of each child, as well as their existing linguistic repertoire. 

The PALINGUI project aims to create the tools to support teachers and educators to be able to reflect on the language learning pathways of young learners (age 3 to 12) and allow them to make this progress visible, not only for use within an educational environment, but also for the children and their parents. By providing methods and examples of inspiring practice, the project also aims to guide teachers in choosing appropriate teaching strategies to support children in the classroom and involve them in the process of making their own language learning visible. 

The PALINGUI team has been working to identify the key principles that support teachers and educators in being able to identify, understand, support, and show the language learning in children through observation, assessment, and documentation. This project is now entering its next phase, starting with a network meeting in March 2022, which will involve a dialogue with a range of different professionals, to discuss and refine the key ideas and principles and allow for the sharing of good practice from a range of different educational contexts. 

If you are interested in this project, and want to share your ideas or experiences, feel free to get in touch with Inge Birnie (ingeborg.birnie@strath.ac.uk). You can also follow the progress of the project through our Twitter account @Palingui and on the website “Young children’s language learning pathways – Making early language learning visible”.

Author: Dr Inge Birnie