Nature as Co-teacher : the supportive function of nature for early childhood language education

Since the majority of young children aged two to seven years receive early childhood education, it is important to know how teachers develop knowledge on including nature-based places in their language education. In this study fifty-five early childhood educators across five schools explored the supportive aspects of nature-based language teaching and learning language in early childhood. While exploring these aspects they focused on how language education in nature-based places contributed to the desired outcomes of language education. The results of the study revealed a new theory of practice for ECE language education. In a collaborative process with colleagues from practice and academic colleagues, they developed new forms of language education, based on the supportive function of nature for language experiences, carried it out, and evaluated it. One of the most valuable insights of this theory is that it suggests a pedagogical as well as a linguistic function of nature-based places. This indicates a new way of teaching language.