A lot of hyperlinks (especially to good practices) in the present handbook should later on be added.

This EC Handbook is primarily directed at Member State authorities and administrations in charge of early childhood education and care and of language education. It is also aimed at those specifically involved in the development of language education (e.g. curriculum developers, teacher education and research institutions) and frontline staff involved in the delivery and support of Early Language Learning (ELL) (pre-school managers, teachers, pedagogues and child carers). It can also provide guidance for parents and community stakeholders.

The handbook is based on the work of a group of national experts convened by the European Commission to debate current needs and issues in the field of pre-primary language awareness and acquisition. Rather than presenting new policy proposals by the European Commission, it contains a set of guidelines and recommendations, derived from the exchanges of experiences in the above group of national experts. These guidelines and recommendations reflect examples of good practice and academic evidence on how to ensure the quality, effectiveness and sustainability of language learning in pre-primary settings, i.e. in any kind of setting (nursery, kindergarten, etc.) where learning takes place before primary school.

The purpose of  this handbook is to draw attention to the conditions for success — and potential pitfalls — of early language learning by furthering the debate and proposing tried and tested solutions.