IFS at the 15th Leipzig Spring Symposium on Language & Communication

Professor Birgit Heppt led a workshop titled “From everyday language to academic language – and how preschools can support this process” at the 15th Leipzig Spring Symposium on Language & Communication at the University of Leipzig. The event’s theme was “Opportunities for All! Linguistic Diversity and Academic Language”. The symposium was organized by the Department of Language and Communication (Prof. Dr. Christian Glück) at Leipzig University and the State Competence Center for Language Education and Support in Early Childhood Education Centers in Saxony (LakoS).

Professor Heppt’s workshop was aimed at professionals in the field of early education, such as staff from daycare centers and nurseries, as well as educational consultants. In the workshop, participants explored the significance of academic language and its characteristics. They gathered examples of typical situations in preschool in which children are exposed to academic language and discussed how academic language proficiency can be promoted as part of daily interactions in kindergarten and preschool. Typical conversation situations in daycare centers were analyzed using video excerpts, and the language support strategies contained in them were identified. Finally, based on an experimental demonstration, the participants planned a language-supportive experimental activity.

Thank you to all participants for the stimulating discussions!