“Early Childhood: Language, Multimodality, and Multilingualism”

These conference sessions, co-organized by the Universities of Le Mans and Montpellier-
(Faculty of Education), as well as the AFaLaC association, focus on early childhood—a crucial period in human development, particularly in terms of language and socialization—especially in contexts of migration or, more broadly, language contact. We would like to examine this topic from an interdisciplinary perspective, placing the question of language—understood in its multimodal reality—at the center of our reflections and discussions.

Communication isn’t just about words; it is multisensory and rich in emotion
. We now know how much gestures, rhythm, rhymes, and sounds—the musicality of words, voice, and language, as well as melody—captivate babies from the moment they are born. Universal oral traditions for children, which set words to rhythm, contribute to the transmission of knowledge, build the bond that connects the child to the world around them, and are a source of emotion.

However, access to language and culture are closely intertwined. Culture is, by de
, the quintessential object of joint attention—an indispensable prerequisite for language, as Bruner describes. It is therefore important for everyone to advocate for the necessity of singing, reading, dancing, painting, drawing, or making music… Thus, in migration contexts, cultural media serve the same functions as transitional objects: they reassure and provide a sense of security.
Language of the heart, language of the body, comfort language, language that unites or divides,
language as a marker of identity—it always develops through interaction with adults…
What avenues does research open up for us to support parents and professional
s in their interactions with very young children? How can we help them
develop their language and thereby contribute to the establishment of a more egalitarian and inclusive society?

To address these key questions in the field of early childhood, all interventions
will be based on empirical studies.

At the Le Mans site, only the conferences are available via videoconference (after registering and paying on the website at
by clicking here).

The sessions in Montpellier can be accessed remotely, but all communication
will take place on-site. The study days in Montpellier are
available free of charge. However, registration is required on the website (click on “In-person Conferences in Montpellier,” even for remote access).