Early childhood: languages, multimodality, multilingualism

These study days, co-organized by the Universities of Le Mans and Montpellier
(Faculty of Education) and the AFaLaC association, focus on early childhood, a crucial period in personal development, particularly in terms of language and socialization, especially in contexts of migration or, more broadly, language contact. We would like to consider this theme from an interdisciplinary perspective, placing the question of language, understood in its multimodal reality, at the heart of our reflections and discussions.

Communication is not just about words; it is multisensory and involves emotional
. We now know how much gestures, rhythm, rhymes and sounds, the musicality of words, voice, language and melody appeal to babies from birth. Universal oral traditions for children, which put words into rhythm, contribute to transmission, build the link that connects children to the world around them, and are a source of emotions.

However, access to language and culture are closely interrelated. Culture is, by
, the object of joint attention, an essential prerequisite for language, as Bruner explains. It is therefore important to defend the need for everyone to sing, read, dance, paint, draw, or make music. In the context of migration, cultural supports have the same functions as transitional objects: they reassure and provide security.
The language of the heart, the language of the body, the language of comfort, the language that brings people together or separates them,
the language that marks identity, always develops through interaction with adults...
What avenues does research open up for us to support parents and professional
in their interactions with very young children? How can we help them
develop their language skills and thus contribute to the establishment of a more egalitarian and inclusive society?

To answer these crucial questions in the field of early childhood, the intervention
will all be based on empirical studies.

At the Le Mans site, only conferences are accessible via videoconference (after
registration and payment on the site by clicking here).

Interventions at the Montpellier site are accessible remotely, but all communication
will take place on site. The study days in Montpellier are accessible free of charge at
. However, registration on the site is required (click on "In-person conferences in Montpellier," even for remote access).