Language is one of the characteristic features of national identity (Ehala, 2017) and language skills enable one to become part of the culture (Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2016). Members who have successfully integrated linguistically and culturally into society are characterized by greater life satisfaction (Kus-Harbord & Ward 2015). For example, nearly four-fifths of non-Estonians living in Estonia believe that learning Estonian increases children's chances of competing for jobs in the future (Anniste, 2017). Therefore, it is important to integrate children into the Estonian cultural and value space as early as possible (Ministry of Education, s.a.).

The transition to Estonian-language education began in preschools in 2024, when from September 1, teaching and educational activities must be conducted only in Estonian. Early language learning aims to ensure that all children have the opportunity to acquire primary education in the Estonian language. Various studies show that the longer the exposure to the local language, the better the child's language skills when they start school (Baird & Argus 2022). The language skills of those who graduate from preschool should be sufficient to cope in an Estonian-speaking environment and continue their education in an Estonian-speaking school (Ministry of Education, s. a.).

When teaching children from a different culture in preschool institutions, a lack of suitable materials for language learning has been highlighted both in Estonia and elsewhere in the world (Peterson et al., 2020; Tiefenthal et al., 2010). This may be due to the complexity of creating language learning games, as children's different language skills must be taken into account, as children starting to learn a second language have different family backgrounds. Some do not hear Estonian at all at home, but also those whose one parent speaks Estonian to their child daily. The individuality of each child must be taken into account when teaching children a second language (Argus et al., 2021; Goullier et al., 2015). This makes it difficult to select and create learning materials.

One way to acquire a language in an age-appropriate way is to use language-learning games (Meriläinen & Piispanen, 2022; Weisberg et al., 2013). It has been found that children experience positive well-being in early language learning programs only if the programs are game-based (Thieme et al., 2022). To create games suitable for language learning and increase teachers' competence in selecting games, it is important to know what preschool teachers consider important when it comes to language learning game

Previous studies have shown that there is a lack of suitable materials for language learning in preschools, including language-learning games (Peterson et al., 2020; Tiefenthal et al., 2010), and teachers consciously do not choose games and rather focus on school-like learning (Neudorf et al. 2017). The transition to learning in Estonian requires the development of learning materials, including creating games suitable for learning Estonian as a second language. To support the learning of a second language, teachers must know how to choose games that consider the unique nature of language learning in preschools. The research aimed to determine how teachers assess the possibilities of using language-learning games for children and their selection criteria and principles. The study seeks answers to the following questions:

1. What opportunities does a language learning game that develops Estonian as a second language offer in preschool age?

2. How important do teachers consider different learning game criteria when selecting language learning games?

3. What principles do teachers base their selection of games for teaching Estonian as a second language? 

Fifty preschool teachers who had experience teaching children who speak Estonian as a second language were surveyed. The teachers worked with children of different ages (2–7 years old). The mean age of the respondents was 45 years (SD = 12; min = 20; max = 66) and their work experience ranged from 1–45 years (M = 16; SD = 13). A questionnaire was prepared for the study based on the national curriculum for preschool institutions and the measuring instrument used in previous studies. The questionnaire consisted of four parts. The first part contained 21 statements, which were divided into four areas: developing second language skills, shaping knowledge, taking into account children's individuality, and shaping general skills. Teachers were asked to indicate on a yes-no scale the opportunities that they believed Estonian as a language learning game for developing a second language should offer. The second part included a list of 11 criteria from four areas: instruction, content, differentiation, and implementation of the educational game. Teachers were asked to rate how important they considered the criteria on a five-point scale (5 – very important … 1 – not important at all). In the third part, teachers were asked to name the three most important principles they use when choosing games for teaching Estonian as a second language. In the fourth part, teachers were asked about their background information. The data were analyzed using mixed methods: descriptive statistics, Friedman test, and thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics (percentages, mean, and standard deviation) were used to find teachers' assessments of the possibilities and criteria of the language learning game. The non-parametric Friedman test was used to compare teachers' assessments of the criteria areas.

First, the opportunities offered by a language learning game for developing Estonian as a second language were identified. Teachers' assessments were analyzed in four areas: 1) developing second language skills, 2) taking into account the child's individuality, 3) developing knowledge, and 4) developing general skills. The study revealed that preschool teachers valued language-learning games as an opportunity to help children acquire a new vocabulary and culture while supporting children's interests and motivation. The teachers believed that language-learning games were not very useful in developing the general skills of children. Second, the selection criteria for the language learning game designed for children included four areas: 1) content, 2) instruction of the learning game, 3) differentiation, and 4) implementation. When choosing language-learning games, the teachers rated most highly the criteria related to the substantive side of the games as, in their opinion, games should contain various exercises and tasks. Thirdly, it investigated what principles teachers follow when choosing games for teaching Estonian as a second language. The teachers proceeded from the principle that, in addition to developing language skills, the game should consider each child’s individuality and integrate other areas of learning into the language game. In conclusion, it can be said that, according to the teachers, games that take into account children's different language levels and interests and also help develop other areas of learning and educational activities are suitable for language learning.

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