KURS Symposium Explores the Future of Early Foreign Language Education
On 15 June 2026, the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, hosted the Scientific and Professional Symposium Foreign Languages in Preschool and Early Primary Education – Trends and Perspectives, organised as part of the institutional research project KURS (UFZG-NPOO-25-277).
The Symposium brought together a large number of researchers, education professionals, early childhood educators, primary school teachers and representatives of educational institutions, with the aim of addressing current challenges and opportunities in early foreign language learning and teaching. The programme included a keynote lecture, a round-table discussion, research and professional presentations, and workshops focusing on contemporary approaches, practical experiences and future directions in the field.
A particular highlight of the Symposium was the keynote lecture delivered by Professor Petra Gretsch from the University of Freiburg, who addressed the competences required for high-quality foreign language teaching in preschool and early primary education. The discussions were further enriched by contributions from numerous Croatian and international experts through research and professional presentations, the round-table discussion and workshops.
The strong interest in the Symposium, together with the rich and stimulating discussions, reaffirmed the importance of sustained professional and academic dialogue on the role of early childhood educators and primary school teachers in developing children’s language competences from an early age.
We would like to thank all speakers, workshop leaders, participants and collaborators for their enthusiastic engagement and valuable contribution to the successful organisation of the Symposium. We look forward to future meetings and continued collaboration aimed at enhancing the quality of early foreign language learning and teaching.
Assoc. Prof. Željka Knežević, PhD
Project Leader, KURS