Language Awareness Rebooted

In Language Awareness Rebooted, the priorities of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and parents from multiple sectors are discussed and developed, providing children in the early years of formal education the opportunities available to all in post-truth societies through curricula founded on science, equity, and justice. Martine Jago advances a case for teaching children under the age of seven about language: how language evolved; how language functions; how meanings are constructed; and how linguistic otherness is encountered and interpreted. Based around a longitudinal study of child development, literacy education, and teaching about languages other than English, this research shows how early attention to language as a social and cultural practice supports linguistic skills and emotional responses – effect and affect. The book embeds language awareness within early years policies, classroom practices, and language learning processes as a foundation for building reflective, inclusive, and informed educational environments. This is an essential resource for school leaders, regional directors, and national policymakers.