Language Education Policies and Early Childhood Education

This chapter discusses the importance of different types early language education in public system according to national policy two geopolitical contexts: Continental Northern Europe and UK. We define as policies childhood (ECE) including planning, practices, ideologies related teaching learning languages. present a variety theoretical approaches discuss their applicability field research. These include traditional top-down implementation models well more dynamic ecological approaches. Following that, we look at major contributions field, presenting empirical studies from UK following lines research: critical readings ECE documents, identifying agents power. Based on our review studies, point out issues topics that need be addressed, such prevailing monolingual native speaker norms; how children, communities, languages are made (in)visible texts; conflicting paradigms ideologies; practical challenges official policy; also documents open spaces for multilingual ECE. Lastly, some new projects sociopolitical contexts suggest directions future research based idea systems, which roles actors examined function setting conditions under they operate.