Relational Dynamics of Co-Teaching to Promote Language Development in a Trilingual Preschool

Post-colonial Hong Kong is a trilingual city with significant numbers of residents speaking English, Cantonese, Mandarin, or some combination of all three. Competency in these languages is promoted by local and international schools. International School Hong Kong (ISHK) supports language learning in their early years program through a combination of a robust bilingual model and a Progressive philosophy of teaching and learning. This presentation explores teachers’ perspectives on the program supports additional language learning through Progressive practices. Teachers in ISHK stress intentional support of relationships, prompting interest in additional language use through promotion of children’s interests, and building children’s confidence in the additional language.