Parental Perspectives on Early English Language Education: A Quantitative Inquiry into Attitudes and Barriers in a Localised Context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18188878Keywords:
Early English education, parental attitudes, language acquisition, Serbian education policy, passive interestAbstract
English is the most widely learned foreign language in Europe, leading many educational systems to introduce English at increasingly younger ages. Parents play a key role in decisions regarding children's early exposure to English, and their attitudes may influence both educational practice and language development outcomes. In Serbia, early English language education is largely centralized, with limited state-supported opportunities in preschool settings. This quantitative study examines parental attitudes toward early English language learning and acquisition in one Serbian municipality. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 111 parents and analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and inferential methods. The results indicate that parents generally support an early introduction of English, most commonly favoring the age range between four and six years. English proficiency is perceived as an important resource that cannot be acquired exclusively through media exposure; however, parents show limited initiative to actively support early English education. Factor analysis identifies two dimensions of parental attitudes: perceived benefits of early English learning and passive interest in early English acquisition. No statistically significant differences were found in relation to parental gender or educational level on most variables. The findings underline the importance of strengthening parental engagement and expanding access to organized early English programs, as well as the need for local educational policies that align parental beliefs with available institutional support.
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