SPECIAL ISSUE: Supporting Multilingual Families in Early Childhood Spaces

Submissions are invited for a special issue of HS Dialog surrounding the theme of supporting multilingual families. Across the US, one third of children under the age of five are multilingual. In certain states, like California, Texas, and New Jersey, the proportion of students whom speak multiple languages is closer to 50% of the population (Nhi Giang & Park, 2023). Besides English, Spanish is the most dominant language, and there are between 350 to 430 other languages spoken in our country. Languages like Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic have millions of speakers across our nation (Monsen & Gregory, 2023). Each of these languages bring its own set of inherent cultures and themes that bring value and purpose to families. Early childhood researchers must utilize creative approaches to make the most impact to these communities, and to set aside our own biases to make way for change.

The HS Dialog Special Issue 2024, Supporting Multilingual Families in Early Childhood Spaces, invites research articles, research to practice narratives, applied policy work, and professional development initiatives for the early childhood workforce. The themes could include academic or behavioral initiatives for multilingual learners, educators who speak multiple languages and ways policy supports them, or system change that has supported multilingual learners and families.

Submissions will be accepted via upload to the journal system. If you are new to HS Dialog, please send an email to Editor, Dr. Bryndle Bottoms (bbottoms@mailbox.sc.edu) to obtain a user account for the journal management system.

Timeline: Submissions due April 26, 2024, decisions received by May 31, 2024, anticipated publication by August 1, 2024

References

Nhi Giang, I. T., & Park, M. (2023, March 14). Dual language learners: Key characteristics and considerations for early childhood programs. migrationpolicy.org. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/dual-language-learner-characteristics

Monsen, L., & Gregory, M. (2023, Feb 16). The United States is rich in languages. Shareamerica.org. https://share.america.gov/united-states-rich-in-languages/