component. This, however, does not guarantee that the preschool teachers develop a level of communicative English language competence that would enable them to confidently teach English in preschool. Data referring to this issue resulted from the following question, which was asked to those preschool teachers who could not imagine teaching English:
Do you have the feeling that your English is adequate / not adequate? (Haben Sie das Gefühl, dass ihr Englisch ausreichend / nicht ausreichend ist?) (question 4c-1).
Of those preschool teachers who answered, more than half of them felt their English competence level was not adequate to teach English (58.2%) (→ statistical data 19).
Statistical data 19: Teachers’ communicative English language competence
This is a substantial reason why they considered it to be a burden to teach it. Needless to say, a sound communicative English language competence that makes teachers feel competent is an essential part of their professional competence (→ chapter 4.1). The majority addressed this issue – if mostly only very generally – but occasionally to the extent that native-like language competence was considered by teachers to be a basic requirement to teach English in preschool. Throughout, the lack of available time to develop professionally was seen as being one of the general issues in preschool teacher education:
“Kann selbst nicht so gut Englisch. Fehlende Kenntnisse und Unterlagen” (qu. 4a: burden).
“Meine Englischkenntnisse sind nicht so gut” (qu. 4a: burden).
“Mein Englisch wäre zu schlecht” (qu. 4c-4).
“Es ist eher eine Belastung, da ich die Fremdsprache nicht perfekt spreche” (qu. 4a: burden).
“Mein Englisch ist nicht gut genug, bei Pädagoginnen muss das freiwillig sein” (qu. 4c-4).
“Ich bin kein native speaker” (qu. 4c-4).
“Weil die Fremdsprache nicht die Muttersprache ist, braucht es einiges an Vorbereitung und Konsequenz beim Umsetzen” (qu. 4c-4).
Consequently, as a first assessment of the initial situation, it seems that a basic requirement for preschool teachers to be able to teach English confidently is largely missing. It will have to be seen if preschool teachers’ existing communicative English language competence provides a sufficient basis to work from in the teacher education project. What can be learnt from the survey is that ample opportunities to develop participating preschool teachers’ communicative English language competence will have to be provided in the teacher education project as support.
3.4.3 Preschool teachers’ disposition to teach English to their groups
The next question aimed at finding out whether those preschool teachers who felt that they could not imagine teaching English (→ question 4c) had the general readiness and disposition to teach English to their groups if appropriate support, including language support, was provided. Data referring to this issue resulted from the following question:
Would you teach English if appropriate support were provided? (Würden Sie mit der notwendigen Unterstützung anfangen Englisch zu unterrichten?) (question 4c-2).
A high percentage of preschool teachers who responded to this question indicated that they would not want to start teaching English even if appropriate support was provided (76.7%) (→ statistical data 20).
Statistical data 20: Teachers’ disposition to teach English if support was provided
When reviewing the explanatory comments that preschool teachers gave to why they would not teach English in their groups even if support was provided, it became apparent that their dispositions towards teaching English were strongly influenced by taking their children’s perspective rather than their own as prospective language teachers – even though this part of the questionnaire clearly referred to themselves. The majority of the reasons related – yet again – to the contextual circumstances that German as a second language was an issue in their preschools and therefore, they would not start teaching English:
“Kommt auf den Standort des Kindergartens an. Wir haben zum Beispiel 80 % Ausländeranteil und das ist deshalb für mich nicht vorstellbar. Kinder lernen teilweise schon schwer die deutsche Sprache” (4c-2:no).
“Fast alle Kinder haben Migrationshintergrund. In unserem Kindergarten spricht fast kein Kind Deutsch, wenn es kommt. Deshalb ist es nicht förderlich sie mit einer weiteren Fremdsprache zu konfrontieren” (qu. 4c-2: no).
“Zusätzlich nicht mehr → die Anforderungen sind für die Kinder schon hoch genug” (qu. 4c-4).
“Wäre eine Überforderung der Kinder” (qu. 4c-2: no).
Nevertheless, there were teachers (almost a fifth) who said they would teach English if they were provided with the necessary support:
“Ich würde gerne eine Fortbildung besuchen um wieder sicherer zu werden, oder auch externe Angebote in Anspruch nehmen!” (qu. 4c-2).
3.4.4 Logistically accommodating English in the state preschool context
Last but not least, an area that may be seen as a potential constraint for teachers to integrate English in their daily preschool life are the demands of their contexts of work. From my experience with the preschool context, I felt that it might seem to be challenging for preschool teachers to imagine integrating English as an additional component of the preschool curriculum because of the logistics of accommodating this new subject in the preschool’s timetable. Data referred to in this chapter resulted from the following question (data also includes any other relevant comments made by teachers in the questionnaire elsewhere, which relate to the issue of accommodating English in the preschool context):
May the reasons (against introducing English in your preschool) be related to the general situation of your preschool, such as coping with daily life in preschool and the logistics of running the morning? (Liegen die Gründe in der Allgemeinsituation des Kindergartens, zum Beispiel das tägliche Kindergartenleben und der Ablauf des Morgens?) (question 4c-3).
The majority of teachers saw the general situation in preschool and the logistics of running the morning as the major constraints for them to teach English (76.9%) (→ statistical data 21). Not even a quarter of the preschool teachers felt that these contextual factors were not an issue in their decision to refuse to offer English in their preschool (23.1%) (→ statistical data 21).
Statistical data 21: Logistical problems accommodating English in the state preschool context
Teachers’ comments proved that they felt their morning routine was already densely packed with things they needed to do to fulfil the regular everyday requirements and meet new challenges of the educational plan, which was why teachers felt there was no space to dedicate extra work to teaching English. They also clearly complained about the growing number of challenges and responsibilities that were put upon them to bring up the children socially, which should be a shared responsibility with the parents. At the same time there was a lack of provision of equivalent staff, which would allow them to meet their tasks in a personally satisfying and professional way. Teachers were consequently – and quite understandably – concerned if they would be able to commit themselves to introducing English:
“Es wird immer schwieriger alle Förderbereiche ausreichend abzudecken und bei großer Kinderanzahl in der Gruppe dem Bildungsplan gerecht zu werden und andere Lehrprogramme zu integrieren!” (qu. 4a: burden).
“Pädagoginnen