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This research explored risk-taking play opportunities for four year olds in Early Years settings through observing play and eliciting child and staff views of the issue. Previous research has suggested that young children enjoy taking risks in their play and that this type of play offers many benefits (Stephenson, 1999; Gill, 2007). The original contribution of this research relates to a greater understanding of risk-taking play in the Early Years, as no previous research has been published in this area in this country. The research was undertaken from a Social Constructionist perspective. The sample consisted of eight children and four staff members from four different Early Years settings in one Local Authority. All eight children included in the sample were aged four at the time of the data collection. Naturalistic observation was used and each child was observed on three separate occasions. Semistructured interviews were used with children and staff and a series of photographs depicting different types of play provided a visual stimulus. Each data set was subjected to individual thematic analysis which used an inductive and deductive approach. Research outside the UK identified categories of risktaking play and these were used as a starting point for the current research (Sandseter, 2007). The research findings showed that children engaged in a range of risk-taking play and their responses to risk varied. The presence of other people had an impact on their risk-taking play and the children demonstrated an awareness of the need for safety. Interviews with the children revealed different reasons for enjoying risktaking play. The children demonstrated an awareness of safety and placed certain boundaries around whether, where and how they might engage in a risktaking play activity. Staff interviews also revealed that safety was a key consideration, both in terms of keeping the children safe and also teaching them how to keep themselves safe. Factors which staff viewed as limiting and facilitating risk-taking play were identified and the role of the staff was viewed alongside the impact of individual staff views and interpretations of risk. The researcher considered these findings in relation to a behavioural framework and this was incorporated into a set of recommendations for good practice with regard

[...]Depuis les années 1990, le nombre de Kindergarten / jardins d’enfant qui proposent une initiation à une langue étrangère augmente constamment. Cependant, il n’y a pas encore d’étude en français langue étrangère (FLE) sur le comportement pragmatique-discursif des petits enfants. L’étude actuelle comble cette lacune.La thèse porte sur la compétence de communication des enfants de jardins d’enfants suivant une initiation ludique au FLE. La recherche décrit les stratégies verbales et non-verbales d’interaction et la conscience langagière de ces enfants. L’objectif du travail est d’évaluer, pour la première fois, le comportement communicatif et méta-linguistique.Nous posons quatre questions de recherche :- Quels types de stratégies communicatives les enfants mettent-ils en place pour échanger avec l’enquêteur dans une situation de communication ?- Comment évaluer leur conscience langagière?- Quels sont les indicateurs de cette conscience langagière? [...] La thèse s’appuie sur une démarche qualitative qui privilège l’utilisation d’entretiens semi-directifs. Le jardin d’enfants évalué se situe près de Rastatt, dans le pays de Bade. Le corpus se compose de 51 interviews effectuées au cours des années scolaires 2007/2008 à 2009/2010. [...] / European Commission promotes language learning and linguistic diversity as main objectives of European policy. The Action Plan 2004 – 2006 points out that it is a priority for Member States to ensure that language learning in kindergarten and primary school is effective. The implementation of the Orientierungsplan für baden-württembergische Kindergärten in 2009/10 opens new possibilities of early language teaching.Up to now we can only find global studies about mostly the exterior conditions of early language teaching in south west of Germany. The effects that would and could be reached by second language acquisition (L2) in early childhood are not yet analysed. There are no detailed scientific results concerning the development of communicative competence. The communication strategies used by very young children and their rising language awareness with French as Foreign Language are not yet described. The present study closes this gap.The main goal of the evaluation is the long-term research with the help of appropriate instruments under the specific institutional conditions. The chosen method is a video-based language acquisition research with the communication- and task based testing called SE FRÜH Sprachstanderhebung Frühsprachen. It allows to evaluate the communicative competence in form of communication strategies and metalinguistic behavior (language awareness).The data are collected in a Kindergarten close to French border where children are brought in touch with the language of their neighbor. Participated in 2007/08: 10 children (5-6 years), in 2008/09: 30 children (16: 5-6 years; 14: 4 years) and in 2009/10: 11 children (5-6 years / already evaluated when 4 years. Exemplary findings can be presented (exemplary film sequences). [...]