Pre-school Leaders’ Perspectives on Foreign Language Education

Abstract

The introduction of foreign language (FL) learning in pre-school education has gained increasing attention across Europe and beyond; however, in many contexts it remains weakly regulated and largely dependent on local initiatives. In Slovenia, FL education is not formally embedded in the national pre-school curriculum, placing pre-school leaders in a key position as mediators between policy frameworks, parental expectations, and pedagogical practice. Despite their central role, empirical research on their perspectives remains limited. This study examined pre-school leaders’ views on the organization, implementation, and quality of FL teaching in Slovenian pre-schools. A quantitative survey design was employed using an online questionnaire completed by 162 pre-school leaders. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis of open-ended responses. The findings showed that FL provision was present in 54.9% of pre-schools and was predominantly organised as an optional enrichment activity rather than as part of the regular programme. English dominated the language offer (82%), and FL teaching was frequently delivered by external providers. While leaders evaluated current practices positively, they expressed concerns regarding teacher qualifications, formative feedback, and insufficient systemic support. Divergent perspectives emerged, ranging from support for the daily integration of FLs through play-based activities to reservations related to developmental and equity considerations. This study provides original empirical insight into pre-school leadership as a critical mediator between policy and practice in pre-school FL education.