Intercultural Education and Multilingualism in the Kita

Many languages are a source of richness

Multilingualism is a resource and a source of richness, not a deficit. Children's first languages are respected and valued, and German is also supported well. The two belong together (see also the separate course on language education).

Multilingualism is a source of richness

Many children grow up multilingual – with one or more family languages and German. This multilingualism is a resource and a source of richness, not a deficit or a problem (see the separate course on language education, module on multilingualism). Multilingual people have valuable linguistic and cultural skills; children can acquire several languages well; and multilingualism is part of the child's identity and richness. Unfortunately, multilingualism is sometimes wrongly seen as a problem or a deficit (especially when the child's German is not yet good) – this is a mistake. An interculturally open day-care centre (Kita) therefore meets its children's multilingualism with appreciation: it sees the children's languages as a source of richness, respects their first language(s), includes them visibly in everyday life (Modules 6, 9), and at the same time supports German well as the shared language (see the separate course on language education). This appreciative stance towards multilingualism strengthens children in their identity, their self-worth and their sense of belonging.

Figure (Module 3): Two ways of seeing multilingualism. Source: own illustration (AI-assisted).

The importance of the first language

The first language (family language) is of great importance to the child: it is the language of their family and their feelings, and it is closely linked to their identity and their thinking. A well-developed first language is not in competition with German; it is not an obstacle to learning German and can be a support – including for acquiring German as a second language (see the separate course on language education). Forbidding or devaluing the first language, or advising parents to speak "German only" at home, is therefore not recommended from a professional point of view: it can weaken the first language and make communication in the family poorer. On the contrary: the first language should be respected and its development supported (above all by the family), while the Kita offers rich opportunities to acquire German. Children can do both – keep up their first language and learn German well. Appreciating and supporting the first language (by the family) and supporting German well (in the Kita) belong together and allow the child a rich multilingual development. Respecting the first language is also a matter of respect and identity: a child whose language and background are respected feels accepted and develops a positive self-image.

Figure (Module 3): First language and German belong together. Source: own illustration (AI-assisted).

Going deeper: Supporting multilingual children with appreciation

Supporting multilingual children with appreciation combines good support for German with appreciating and including the first languages (see also the separate course on language education). In concrete terms, this means several things. First: support German well and in an everyday-integrated way (see the separate course on language education): multilingual children need many good opportunities to acquire German in meaningful, attentive communication – everyday-integrated language education is considered a particularly suitable way to do this. Second: value the first languages and make them visible: value the children's languages as a source of richness and make them visible and audible in everyday life (e.g. greetings, songs, books, number words in different languages, letting the children bring in their language – Module 9), and show interest in the children's languages. This values the children and their identity and makes linguistic diversity a natural, enriching part of everyday life. Third: involve families and encourage a rich first language: encourage parents to communicate, read aloud and tell stories with their children richly in their first language (which supports the first language and language development as a whole), and involve families as experts in their language (Module 10). Fourth: patience and realistic expectations: second-language acquisition takes time, and multilingual children go through normal phases (e.g. an initial "silent phase"). And fifth: when you have concerns about language development, take the particular situation of multilingualism into account (a genuine language disorder usually shows in all of a child's languages, not only in German – see the separate course on language education) and do not hastily classify multilingual children as having "language difficulties" just because their German is not yet age-appropriate. If concerns remain, the practitioner discusses them with the management and with the parents; a specialist evaluation (e.g. via the paediatrician, an early intervention service (Frühförderung) or a counselling centre) is recommended to the parents and only arranged with their consent. This appreciative support – supporting German well, valuing and including the first languages, involving the families, being patient and nuanced – allows multilingual children a rich multilingual development and strengthens them in their identity and sense of belonging. It sees multilingualism as a source of richness and the different languages as valuable, instead of forbidding or devaluing the first languages and relying on German alone. In this way the Kita does justice to its children's linguistic diversity and makes it a source of richness for everyone. Supporting multilingual children with appreciation is an important part of intercultural education and of language education – it combines good support for German with appreciation of linguistic diversity and strengthens children in their multilingual identity and their sense of belonging.

Figure (Module 3): Five ways to support multilingual children with appreciation. Source: own illustration (AI-assisted).