Children's use of English as lingua franca in Swedish preschools
Larsson, Karolina LU ; Björk-Willén, Polly LU ; Haraldsson, Katarina and Hansson, Kristina LU
(2023)
In Multilingua
42(4).
p.527-557
- Abstract
This paper highlights a current phenomenon reported from preschools placed in multilingual areas in Sweden, namely that some preschoolers with mutually different language backgrounds sometimes use English as lingua franca instead of Swedish during play. The data stems from a study of language environments in Swedish preschools situated in both monolingual and multilingual areas. The analyses reveal that many children are influenced by the English language in both areas, but to a much greater extent in multilingual areas. An interesting situation arises when the majority language of society, which is also the language of education and lingua franca of the preschool, acquires a less prevailing role in children's accomplishment of everyday... (More)
This paper highlights a current phenomenon reported from preschools placed in multilingual areas in Sweden, namely that some preschoolers with mutually different language backgrounds sometimes use English as lingua franca instead of Swedish during play. The data stems from a study of language environments in Swedish preschools situated in both monolingual and multilingual areas. The analyses reveal that many children are influenced by the English language in both areas, but to a much greater extent in multilingual areas. An interesting situation arises when the majority language of society, which is also the language of education and lingua franca of the preschool, acquires a less prevailing role in children's accomplishment of everyday practices. Data show that the participating children are exposed to and speak English to a varying extent. They learn and teach each other English, and speak English in an array of pragmatic purposes; to position themselves in the social hierarchies of the preschool group, to create meaning within their shared peer culture and for the purpose of exclusion of intruders. English is also used as a secret language of friendship.
(Less)
- author
- Larsson, Karolina
LU
; Björk-Willén, Polly
LU
; Haraldsson, Katarina
and Hansson, Kristina
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- English, lingua franca, multilingualism, preschool, secret language
- in
- Multilingua
- volume
- 42
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 527 - 557
- publisher
- Mouton de Gruyter
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85139492744
- ISSN
- 0167-8507
- DOI
- 10.1515/multi-2022-0062
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 2f3135ce-a8dc-452f-9b5a-7480464d8c9d
- date added to LUP
- 2022-12-13 12:49:08
- date last changed
- 2023-10-26 14:55:35
@article{2f3135ce-a8dc-452f-9b5a-7480464d8c9d,
abstract = {{<p>This paper highlights a current phenomenon reported from preschools placed in multilingual areas in Sweden, namely that some preschoolers with mutually different language backgrounds sometimes use English as lingua franca instead of Swedish during play. The data stems from a study of language environments in Swedish preschools situated in both monolingual and multilingual areas. The analyses reveal that many children are influenced by the English language in both areas, but to a much greater extent in multilingual areas. An interesting situation arises when the majority language of society, which is also the language of education and lingua franca of the preschool, acquires a less prevailing role in children's accomplishment of everyday practices. Data show that the participating children are exposed to and speak English to a varying extent. They learn and teach each other English, and speak English in an array of pragmatic purposes; to position themselves in the social hierarchies of the preschool group, to create meaning within their shared peer culture and for the purpose of exclusion of intruders. English is also used as a secret language of friendship.</p>}},
author = {{Larsson, Karolina and Björk-Willén, Polly and Haraldsson, Katarina and Hansson, Kristina}},
issn = {{0167-8507}},
keywords = {{English; lingua franca; multilingualism; preschool; secret language}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{527--557}},
publisher = {{Mouton de Gruyter}},
series = {{Multilingua}},
title = {{Children's use of English as lingua franca in Swedish preschools}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/multi-2022-0062}},
doi = {{10.1515/multi-2022-0062}},
volume = {{42}},
year = {{2023}},
}