Abstract/Notes: There is an expanse of literature looking at various topics supporting Montessori education, especially in preschool; however, there is a lack of research in infant and toddler Montessori classrooms. Most of the empirical data regarding language acquisition has focused on the child’s acquisition of vocabulary through direct instruction, rather than the learning capability from overhearing a third party in a naturalistic setting. The purpose of this intervention study was to add to the limited empirical research on language acquisition in infant and toddler Montessori environments. More specifically, the intervention assessed if infants and toddlers could indirectly acquire new vocabulary through the Absorbent Mind from teachers and peers’ ambient dialogue during the Montessori three-period lesson. The research utilized a descriptive, correlational pre-and-post quasi-experimental design to assess and analyze vocabulary and ambient language. Data collection occurred in three Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and American Montessori Society (AMS) infant and toddler mixed-aged environments throughout New York State and Maryland. The Language Environmental Analysis (LENA) system was used to analyze audio recordings. Transcriptions of audio recordings quantified vocabulary acquisition and ambient language. Paired t-tests and ANCOVA were used to analyze children’s acquired vocabulary. A fidelity scale analyzed the extent to which Montessori trained teachers adhered to the three-period lesson intervention. The findings provide opportunities to improve infant and toddler teachers' classroom practice related to language acquisition. Suggestions were offered for early childhood teacher preparation programs.

Language: English

Published: Brookville, New York, 2021

Abstract/Notes: This chapter illustrates the main results of a language laboratory held in a Montessori primary school in Milan, Italy, during 7 years. Pupils (age: 9–11) are guided in the collective invention of a secret language, using all their linguistic repertoire present in class – including minority and home languages. The structure of the language is highly influenced by the language of instruction (in our case, Italian), but, at the same time, it differs from that because its aim is to be secret. In other words, the invented language is shared among the class members only, who know how to decipher its alphabet and grammar, unlike other schoolmates. Secrecy permits the inventor to insert elements from other languages, resulting in an a priori language contact. During the process of invention, participants increase their metalinguistic awareness and thus their understanding of the languages they are studying formally – in our case, Italian and English. The Montessori method fosters a “learning-by-doing” approach and an active interdisciplinary cross-fertilization (called Cosmic Education). In fact, pupils may use the secret language to create an imaginary country – usually an island – and conceive a utopian society, putting together notions of natural sciences (for instance, orography) and social sciences, in particular, to describe the ideal human society speaking their secret language. The chapter also includes reflection on how this language laboratory can be applied in other educational contexts, maintaining its original character of being a serious game for learning.

Language: English

Published: Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2019

ISBN: 978-3-319-73400-2

Language: English

Archive: Seattle University, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, Special Collections

Abstract/Notes: This action research project examined the effects of sign language on the ability of primary students to learn new Spanish vocabulary in a bilingual Montessori classroom. The research took place at a public charter Montessori school in Washington, District of Columbia. Twenty-seven primary school aged children were included in this seven-week study. Sources of data collection included a parent-teacher questionnaire, a baseline assessment, daily observation logs, a daily checklist, a weekly journal, and a summative assessment. Students were grouped by Spanish fluency and taught eight different vocabulary words in Spanish. Half of the words were taught alongside a sign in American Sign Language and the other half were taught without an accompanying sign. The summative assessment data showed that students of all ages displayed a significant increase in their ability to recall new Spanish vocabulary words that were introduced with an accompanying sign in American Sign Language. Future research could examine the roles of sign language and gesturing in helping children recall vocabulary in the long-term.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2016

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: Montessori preschool children who are English Language Learners (ELL) age three to five, consisting of one female and six males. It was conducted in two different preschool classrooms, focusing on literacy skills as well as oral communication skills. The direct aim of the study was to help children successfully learn English as their second language while keeping their native language. Researchers also investigated whether parental involvement increased the ability of ELLs to learn the English language. Data collection procedures utilized were: (1) parent interviews, (2) observation and anecdotal records, (3) pretest, and (4) post-test. A take-home literacy kit was used to measure the effectiveness of parental involvement. Researchers also provided a take-home literacy kit for parents to work on with their child at home. Parents were given a total of four literacy kits, one new kit each week. Result of this research indicated an improvement in parent and child interaction. The take-home literacy kit fostered communication between parent and child because words were translated in their home language. Over the course of four weeks, children showed great interest in literacy and progress in their communication skills.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2014

Abstract/Notes: Foreign language learning has been a part of German elementary schools for several years now. Montessori schools focusing on individual learning, i.e. mostly independent from the teacher and based on auto-education, interest, and free choice, are also asked to teach an L2. The original lack of a concept of L2 learning for this environment has brought forth different approaches. Bilingual education seems to be feasible and applicable in Montessori education. The downside to this is that even in a bilingual classroom the Montessori way of learning may not allow for very much oral production of the foreign language. The role of L2 production (cf. Swain 1985, 1995, 2005) for language acquisition has been theoretically claimed and empirically investigated. Output can have a positive influence on L2 learning (cf. e.g. Izumi 2002, Keck et al. 2006). This also applies to interaction (cf. Long 1996), where negotiation of meaning and modified output are factors supporting L2 development (cf. e.g. de la Fuente 2002, McDonough 2005). Task-based Language Learning (TBLL) presents itself as one way to promote oral language production and to provide opportunities for meaning-negotiation. Especially tasks with required information exchange and a closed outcome have been shown to be beneficial for the elicitation of negotiation of meaning and modified output. This paper argues that TBLL is a promising approach for the facilitation of L2 production and thus the development of speaking skills in a Montessori context. It also hypothesizes that TBLL can be implemented in a bilingual Montessori environment while still making the Montessori way of learning possible. Different tasks on various topics, examples of which are presented in this article, can lay the foundation for this. Offering such tasks in a bilingual Montessori elementary classroom promises to foster language production and the use of communication strategies like negotiation of meaning, both being facilitative for L2 acquisition. This hypothesis remains to be tested in future research.

Language: German

DOI: 10.13092/lo.54.284

ISSN: 1615-3014

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Abstract/Notes: One of the fundamental types of human rights concerns collective-developmental rights which allow minorities to use heritage languages and practices without external interference (Vašák 1977). The protected status of minority language rights is a critical part of language revitalization in which speakers of heritage languages, faced with the encroachment of more socially, politically, and economically dominant languages, embark on vigorous programs to ensure the survival and continued usage of their language. The Five Nations Iroquoian language, Seneca, has just a few remaining speech communities and a variety of ongoing language revitalization initiatives (Mithun 2012). To revitalize their traditional language, community classes through the Seneca Language Department and the Faithkeepers Montessori School Seneca Language Nest for young speakers have concentrated their efforts on preserving Onöndowa'ga:' Gawë:nö' the indigenous name for the Seneca language (Bowen 2020, Murray 2015). In the public sphere, a push by the Seneca Nation of Indians Department of Transportation fulfilling the intent of the federal Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act enacted in 2016, specifically included bilingual signs for state roads running through indigenous land in addition to other significant components (Figura 2016). In an area whose geographic names are strongly connected to Iroquoian languages including Seneca, these bilingual signs represent more public and visible Seneca language presence and stand as symbols of language revitalization. The place names and information that appear on the signs have considerable significance for community identity as well as linguistic and economic impacts, among others. Through oral histories collected from Seneca Nation members and language advocates in addition to a representative from the New York State Department of Transportation, this study pursues an analysis of the Seneca public usage of their heritage language and the various language revitalization efforts occurring among indigenous and minority communities internationally. As the COVID-19 pandemic threatens already vulnerable populations, heritage languages that have been historically oppressed face a global language crisis that disproportionately harms and disadvantages speakers of heritage and minority languages (Roche 2020). While the language of road signs may seem mundane, this study reveals how the Seneca bilingual signs play a significant role in awareness of indigenous territory and consequently stimulation of the local economy as well as supporting language learning, revitalization, and de-stigmatization. Primarily through the efforts of the Seneca community, the bilingual signs represent the expression of language rights in the public sphere and one part of the ongoing language revitalization.

Language: English

Published: Columbus, Ohio, 2021

Language: English