Foreign language training in the U. S. curricula for future specialists in early childhood development and preschool education

Abstract

Abstract: The article aims to highlight the specifics of foreign language training of the U. S. future specialists in early childhood development and preschool education. Methods. The research design for the study is analytical and descriptive, which emphasizes a complex of complementary theoretical methods:critical analysis of legislative, instructive, psychological and pedagogical sources on the issue under research; monographic method – to interpret the results obtained in a coherent and logical way. Results. The analysis of educational programs for specialists in the field of early development and preschool education in leading U. S. higher education institutions showed that foreign language training is integrated into the content of professional education and is considered an important component of the formation of intercultural competence of future teachers. This training is distinguished by: systematicity (in most programs, a foreign language (Spanish, French or Mandarin) is included as a mandatory or elective discipline); intercultural component (programs provide courses that combine language training with the study of cultural traditions of different ethnic groups. This approach helps to form tolerance in students, the ability to build effective interaction with children and their families with different cultural backgrounds); integration with pedagogical internship (students have the opportunity to undergo internships in kindergartens and early childhood development centers, where bilingual or multilingual education programs operate); flexibility and variability (programs provide for the choice of the level of foreign language training depending on the students’ previous language experience, which makes the learning process more individualized). Conclusions. The results obtained confirm that foreign language training in the United States is considered an important means of ensuring professional mobility and competitiveness of future specialists in the field of early development and preschool education, as well as a necessary tool for effective work in a multicultural and multilingual educational environment.