Research Article

Preschool Teacher Candidates' Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches

Volume: 8 Number: 1 October 16, 2026
TR EN

Preschool Teacher Candidates' Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the attitudes of pre-service preschool teachers towards foreign language education and to evaluate their perspectives on the "Experience-Based Foreign Language Acquisition Program." Conducted with a mixed-methods research design, the quantitative sample involved 264 pre-service teachers using the "Foreign Language Teaching Attitude Scale" (Sevi, 2010), while the qualitative phase consisted of semi-structured interviews with nine participants. Quantitative findings revealed that pre-service teachers consider foreign language education necessary for professional development (60.3%), yet a vast majority find university-level language education inadequate (81.1%). While attitudes showed a significant difference in favor of male participants in the "necessity" dimension, no significant differences were found regarding age or grade level. Qualitative findings indicated that none of the participants received "Vocational English" courses during their undergraduate studies, leading to a sense of professional inadequacy. The participants advocate that foreign language education should start in the preschool period and believe that an "Experience-Based" model—supported by digital media, music, and cartoons—will ensure permanent learning. Consequently, it is recommended that preschool teacher education programs be strengthened with field-specific language courses and that experience-based instructional modules be expanded.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Early Childhood Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

October 16, 2026

Submission Date

April 24, 2026

Acceptance Date

October 16, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 8 Number: 1

APA
Cingi, M., & Çağlar, A. (2026). Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches. Social Scientific Centered Issues, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.71249/ssci.1932081
AMA
1.Cingi M, Çağlar A. Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches. SSCI. 2026;8(1). doi:10.71249/ssci.1932081
Chicago
Cingi, Mercan, and Atila Çağlar. 2026. “Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches”. Social Scientific Centered Issues 8 (1). https://doi.org/10.71249/ssci.1932081.
EndNote
Cingi M, Çağlar A (October 1, 2026) Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches. Social Scientific Centered Issues 8 1
IEEE
[1]M. Cingi and A. Çağlar, “Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches”, SSCI, vol. 8, no. 1, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.71249/ssci.1932081.
ISNAD
Cingi, Mercan - Çağlar, Atila. “Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches”. Social Scientific Centered Issues 8/1 (October 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.71249/ssci.1932081.
JAMA
1.Cingi M, Çağlar A. Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches. SSCI. 2026;8. doi:10.71249/ssci.1932081.
MLA
Cingi, Mercan, and Atila Çağlar. “Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches”. Social Scientific Centered Issues, vol. 8, no. 1, Oct. 2026, doi:10.71249/ssci.1932081.
Vancouver
1.Mercan Cingi, Atila Çağlar. Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes Towards Early Childhood Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Views on Experience-Based Approaches. SSCI. 2026 Oct. 1;8(1). doi:10.71249/ssci.1932081

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