Peer-reviewed article
Touch and translanguaging in a multilingual early childhood education setting
Robin Samuelsson ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines how touch supports language learning in a multilingual preschool with 2-year-olds in Sweden. The research found that touch serves two key functions: it creates shared experiences where children can learn languages, and it allows children to explore and learn from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The findings suggest that incorporating touch into teaching methods could help create fairer and more culturally diverse educational experiences for young children in multilingual communities.
Key points
- Touch creates a shared experiential ground where languages can be learned in multilingual settings
- Touch allows children to sensorially explore and learn from diverse cultural and linguistic systems
- The study involved 2-year-olds in a multilingual preschool setting
- Translanguaging pedagogies have not yet been widely adopted in early educational settings
- Touch combined with translanguaging theory offers a perspective for equitable education in multicultural communities
Limitations
The document does not specify the sample size, research methodology, or duration of the study. It is unclear whether findings are generalisable beyond the single preschool setting studied or applicable to different age groups and multilingual contexts.
Abstract
Many children grow up in multilingual communities characterised by linguistic heterogeneity and semiotic and cultural complexity. Translanguaging theory has provided a perspective attuned to communication and education in multilingual settings. However, translanguaging pedagogies have not yet had a broad uptake in early educational settings. The recent interest in embodiment within translanguaging studies and the study of touch combinedly provide a potential perspective for early childhood education. This study examines the role of touch in a multilingual preschool featuring 2-year-olds. The results point to two key functions for touch. One is that touch creates a shared experiential ground where languages can be learned. The other function is that touch allows children to sensorially explore and learn multicultural experiences from the diverse cultural and linguistic systems available. Based on the results, the role of touch in early childhood translanguaging is discussed as a way forward for translanguaging pedagogies for creating both equitable and diverse educational opportunities for children in multicultural and multilingual communities.