Why multilingual arts workshops matter for young children
What a new evaluation reveals about Mother Tongues’ Language Explorers Early Years programme
What happens when children are encouraged to explore language through storytelling, art, music and play — without pressure, correction or the expectation to “get it right”?
According to a new evaluation of Mother Tongues’ Language Explorers Early Years programme carried out by Natasha Ghesquiere (Student in Master’s of Arts in Linguistics, Specialisation in Language Variation and Multilingualism at Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands), something quite special happens: children become more confident, families feel a stronger sense of belonging, and multilingualism becomes something joyful, creative and shared.
In a country where more and more children are growing up with multiple languages, the research highlights the importance of creating spaces where every language, accent and family story is welcomed and valued.
What is Language Explorers Early Years?
Language Explorers Early Years is Mother Tongues’ award-winning programme for children aged 3–6 and their families. Delivered in Community Centres, libraries and Art Centres, the workshops combine storytelling, visual arts, movement, music and play to create high-quality artistic experiences rooted in multilingualism and cultural inclusion.
Rather than teaching a specific language, the workshops encourage children and parents to use whatever languages they speak at home — whether that is Irish, Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, Yoruba, Spanish, English, or any other.
The recent evaluation, based on workshop observations and parent interviews, describes the programme as:
a multilingual, arts-based playgroup in which language is experienced through creativity, interaction and family participation.
This distinction is important. Language Explorers is not a formal language class. Instead, it creates opportunities for children to experience language as something connected to creativity, family, identity and joy.
Supporting multilingual children in Ireland today
Ireland is becoming increasingly multilingual. Yet many families still struggle to find spaces where their languages and cultural experiences are recognised and celebrated.
The report highlights that multilingual families often carry the responsibility of passing on their home language alone, especially when their language community is small or not widely represented.
Language Explorers helps ease that pressure by creating a welcoming environment where multilingualism is normalised.
One parent described the workshops as:
...a space that everybody can come in on an equal playing field.
Another reflected on how valuable it was for children to encounter many languages together in a relaxed setting:
The world we live in is multicultural… the atmosphere is very relaxed, you do something creative, you meet the artists, it is very unique.
The evaluation found that children were often excited to hear and share words from different languages. During storytelling sessions, children enthusiastically called out words they knew in their home language, while parents supported and encouraged them.
Importantly, there was no pressure to speak “perfectly”. Instead, children were encouraged to experiment, repeat sounds and participate in ways that felt natural to them.
Why creativity changes the experience of language
One of the strongest findings in the report is the connection between creativity and language confidence.
The workshops encourage children to associate language with play, storytelling, songs, movement and artistic exploration rather than correction or formal instruction. This creates a low-pressure environment where children can express themselves freely.
As the researcher notes, children appeared to build:
- confidence in expressing themselves
- curiosity towards other languages and cultures
- positive associations with their home language
- stronger family interaction through shared creativity
One parent explained:
Going to Language Explorers has been really useful because it gives me inspiration in ways to interweave language throughout our days… through games, through song, through different things and not academically.
This reflects one of the programme’s core strengths: it supports not only children, but also parents and caregivers, helping families feel more confident using their languages together in everyday life.
A space where every child belongs
The evaluation repeatedly highlights the atmosphere of the workshops as one of their most important strengths.
Families described the sessions as welcoming, inclusive and affirming. Children were encouraged to participate at their own pace, and flexibility was central to the approach.
If a child felt shy or overwhelmed, they were not pressured to engage immediately. Instead, facilitators, volunteers and parents worked together to support children in ways that respected their individual personalities and needs.
This was especially meaningful for some children experiencing language processing or developmental difficulties. One parent shared how hearing different accents and ways of speaking English helped his child feel more comfortable:
It’s encouraging for him that he can see that somebody else has a difficulty saying that word or they say it a different way.
The report suggests that exposure to multiple accents, pronunciations and styles of speaking may help reduce some of the pressure children feel around “sounding right”, supporting confidence and self-expression.
Language Explorers and the Irish language
Interestingly, the evaluation also found that many Irish-speaking or Irish-learning families are drawn to the workshops.
In the multilingual environment of Language Explorers, Irish is experienced alongside many other languages in a natural and socially supported way. Parents who may not feel fully confident speaking Irish themselves still felt comfortable participating.
As one parent explained:
Even if there’s no Irish-speaking families there, there’s definitely going to be Irish-speaking kids there.
Rather than positioning Irish as something formal or intimidating, the workshops create playful opportunities for children to hear and use it alongside other languages.
More than a workshop
The evaluation concludes that Language Explorers fills an important gap in Ireland’s early years and multilingual landscape.
Unlike formal language schools, the programme focuses on language use, creativity, belonging and family connection. Parents are encouraged to participate alongside their children.
The report by Natasha Ghesquiere describes Language Explorers as:
...a rare and valuable space in which multilingual children and families can feel welcomed, recognised and affirmed.
For educators, the findings offer important insights into the value of arts-based and multilingual approaches in early childhood. For parents, they offer reassurance that multilingualism does not need to be perfect, formal or pressured in order to flourish.
Most importantly, the evaluation reminds us that when children see their languages, cultures and identities reflected positively around them, they are more likely to feel confident, connected and proud of who they are.
More spaces, more places, more ages
As multilingualism continues to grow across Ireland, programmes like Language Explorers are becoming increasingly important.
The report recommends carefully expanding the programme geographically and by age group, recognising the growing demand for inclusive multilingual spaces where children and families can experience language as something joyful, creative and shared.
At Mother Tongues, we believe every child deserves access to high-quality artistic experiences where their language and identity are recognised as strengths.
Language Explorers continues to show that the arts can play a powerful role in helping children and families feel seen, heard and connected — across languages, cultures and communities.
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