Dieter Thoma

Early childhood educators’ competences for supporting children’s academic language skills in Germany

This study investigates early childhood educators’ language training competence that is required to support childrens linguistic development. Hundred and forty-four early-years-professionals in Germany completed a computer-based assessment. We first tested knowledge of linguistic topics (e.g. morpho-syntax, developmental stages). Second, we probed their ability to make relevant linguistic observations in videotaped child–educator interactions. Third, we asked them to select adequate language interventions for the observed child. The participants’ knowledge and observing ability scores were slightly above 50% but they scored low in selecting effective interventions. More detailed analyses indicate that those with a higher level of secondary education outperformed low-educated early-years-professionals. Only those with intensive specialist training were better equipped to choose appropriate intervention methods. We discuss the results in light of the current German and (inter-) national practice of early childhood educators’ professional training and suggest a greater emphasis on linguistics and language awareness in their education.

How Cross-Linguistic Differences in the Grammaticalization of Future Time Reference Influence Intertemporal Choices

According to Chens (2013) Linguistic Savings Hypothesis (LSH), our native language affects our economic behavior. We present three studies investigating how cross-linguistic differences in the grammaticalization of future-time reference (FTR) affect intertemporal choices. In a series of decision scenarios about finance and health issues, we let speakers of altogether five languages that represent FTR with increasing strength, that is, Chinese, German, Danish, Spanish, and English, choose between hypothetical sooner-smaller and later-larger reward options. While the LSH predicts a present-bias that increases with FTR-strength, our decision makers preferred later-larger options and this future-bias increased with FTR-strength. In multiple regressions, the FTR-strength effect persisted when controlled for socioeconomic and cultural differences. We discuss why our findings deviate from the LSH and ask in how far the FTR-strength effect represents a habitual constitution of linguistic relativity or an instance of online decision framing.

Early childhood educators’ knowledge and abilities in planning language learning environments

In this explorative study we investigate (1) how early childhood educators differ in their planning of language training, and (2) if their planning abilities in the context of language training increase with their linguistic content knowledge. We interviewed fifteen early childhood educators from southern Germany on their planning and reflection practices in language training and videotaped them during a language training session to assess how systematic their planning activities were. We qualitatively analyzed the interviews and developed a detailed coding scheme that allowed us to create a planning score. We previously tested their knowledge about language, first and second language acquisition, assessment, and training with a standardized test for language training competence (SprachKoPFv06). In qualitative analyses we identified two types of early childhood educators: elaborate and restricted planners. Correlational analyses and group comparisons suggest that educators with more language-specific knowledge are more systematic and target-oriented when planning language learning environments.