Young children learning new languages out of school.

Kirsch, Claudine

doi:10.2167/ijm035.0

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Young children learning new languages out of school.

Kirsch, Claudine

2006 • In International Journal of Multilingualism, 3 (4), p. 258-279

Peer reviewed

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https://hdl.handle.net/10993/4992

DOI
10.2167/ijm035.0

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Keywords :

home; school; language learning; motivation

Abstract :

[en] Luxembourg is a trilingual country where residents communicate in Luxembourgish, French and German concurrently. Children therefore study these languages at primary school. In this paper I explore how six eight-year-old Luxembourgish children use and learn German, French and English in formal and informal settings over a period of one year. Their eagerness to learn and use German and English contrasted with their cautious and formal approach to the learning of French. My findings demonstrate that second language learning in a multilingual country is not an ‘automatic’ or ‘natural’ process but, rather, children’s language behaviour depends on their personal goals, interests, competence, confidence and understanding of what counts as appropriate language use. These factors are influenced by the formal approach to language learning at school.

Disciplines :

Languages & linguistics
Education & instruction

Identifiers :

UNILU:UL-ARTICLE-2012-1136

Author, co-author :

Kirsch, Claudine ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education (FLSHASE) > Languages, Culture, Media and Identities (LCMI)

Language :

English

Title :

Young children learning new languages out of school.

Publication date :

2006

Journal title :

International Journal of Multilingualism

ISSN :

1479-0718

Publisher :

Sage

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

258-279

Peer reviewed :

Peer reviewed

Available on ORBilu :

since 20 August 2013

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