Early Language Development in 3–6-Year-Olds: Influence of Classroom Environment and Teacher Talk
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2025.v10.n12.003Keywords:
early childhood education, language development, classroom environment, teacher talk, teacher‒child interaction, ECCE, linguistic inputAbstract
Early language development forms the foundation of children’s later literacy, academic achievement, and socio-emotional growth. This study examined how classroom environment quality and teacher talk quality influence language development among 576 children aged 3–6 years attending ECCE programmes in India. A cross-sectional design was used, and data were collected through standardized assessments of children’s language development, structured classroom observations, and parent–teacher perception measures. Results showed significant positive associations between classroom environment quality and language development (r = .64, p < .001) and a stronger association for teacher talk quality (r = .71, p < .001). Hierarchical regression analysis revealed teacher talk quality as the strongest independent predictor, explaining nearly 50% of the variance in language outcomes (β = .54, p < .001), even after controlling for age, gender, and parental occupation. Classroom environment quality also contributed significantly, though to a lesser extent. Contextual factors such as parental occupation and parent opinion did not independently predict language outcomes when classroom and teacher variables were considered. These findings highlight the central role of teacher language practices in shaping early language development and underscore the need for stronger teacher training, language-rich classroom practices, and ECCE quality enhancement in the Indian context.
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