DEVELOPING PRESCHOOLERS' LANGUAGE SKILLS BY INCORPORATING ENGLISH WORDS INTO ADAPTED NARRATIVE SPEECH
Abstract
The development of vocabulary and language in preschool children is
strongly shaped by the sociolinguistic environment, educational practices, and
exposure to multiple languages. In recent decades, the Romanian lexicon has
undergone a rapid influx of Anglicisms, increasingly present in the everyday
communication of preschoolers. Within the context of globalization and
digitalization, English emerges as a dominant influence, leading to spontaneous
code-switching and the integration of mixed linguistic structures in children’s
speech and play. This paper investigates the impact of English on the lexical and
structural development of Romanian among preschool children, addressing codeswitching
as a form of emergent bilingualism. The analysis highlights features of
preschoolers’ dialogue such as verbal clichés, pauses, and hybrid constructions.
Furthermore, the study emphasizes the educational potential of adapting and
digitalizing classical fairy tales, which not only foster diglossic and bilingual
competences but also enhance preschoolers’ narrative comprehension and learning
experiences.