‘Why do we know Hebrew and they do not know Arabic?’ Children’s meta-linguistic talk in bilingual preschool

ABSTRACT

Language-focused listening to young children’s talk provides insight into their internal thinking mechanisms regarding language as they engage in language learning. The aim of this exploratory longitudinal study was to examine and analyze children’s meta-linguistic talk and its main characteristics in a bilingual Arabic–Hebrew-speaking preschool. This talk takes the form either of short comments or of fully fledged discursive events. The target preschool is located in central Israel, and is attended by 29 children: 19 L1 Arabic-speaking children and 10 L1 Hebrew-speaking children. Data were collected during one year and included video-recordings of the children’s conversations. The following content categories were extracted from the children’s meta-linguistic talk: (1) focus on language form; (2) discourse management: children as language policymakers – who speaks which language to whom and when, critical evaluation of L2 competence, and positive notions of bilingualism; and (3) difficulty in understanding the talk. We found that through active discourse management within intergroup contexts, children tried to build their social world and enhance their ethnic identities. This type of meta-linguistic talk addressed such macro-level issues as minority−majority language status and asymmetry in L2 input.

KEYWORDS:

• Children’s meta-linguistic talk
• bilingual preschool
• Arabic
• Hebrew
• discourse management

Acknowledgements

Our grateful thanks go to the Director of Educational Programs, Center for Jewish-Arab Education in Israel ‘Hand in Hand,’ Dr Inas Deeb, and to the School Principal of the Bridge over the Wadi (Gesher al HaWadi), Dr Hasan Agbaria. We would also like to thank the teachers in the kindergartens, for their unlimited support and fruitful collaboration, and the children for their active participation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Mila Schwartz is Professor in Language and Education and a Head of Language Program (MA) in Oranim Academic College of Education.

Naomi Gorbatt is employed by the Israeli non-profit organization The Centre for Educational Technology (CET) as the Director of the Language Arts Department.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by (1) The MOFET Institute, the Israeli national inter-collegial center for the research and development of programs in teacher education and teaching in the colleges; (2) This work was supported by The Academy of Finland (Suomen Akatemia) [grant number 266850] and (3) The Israeli Center for Educational Technology.