The Department of Education Sciences in Early Childhood of the Democritus University of Thrace, in collaboration with the School of English Language and Literature of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, is organizing an international conference in Alexandroupoli on May 8–10, 2026, entitled:

Implementing EAN in Practice. Transformations in Preschool Educational Reality

The introduction of English in preschool education has constituted a significant reform in the field of early childhood education, aiming not only at children’s creative engagement with a foreign language, but also at their holistic development and the enrichment of the school community and the preschool Curriculum, with the ultimate goal of shaping the identity of the European and global citizen.

The EAN program, an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to the professional development of preschool teachers and English language teachers, has shaped the pedagogical and methodological framework of this reform in alignment with the (new) preschool Curriculum. It introduced innovative elements in the approach to English language learning at early ages, such as collaboration between teachers of the two specialties, the design and implementation of educational scenarios coordinated with the overall kindergarten program, the use of English as a vehicle for multilingual communication and intercultural dialogue, the highlighting of cultural elements carried by languages, a playful and multimodal approach to the learning process, and collaboration with families and the wider community.

Four years after the widespread implementation of the introduction of English into preschools, research and monitoring of the reform continue, aiming to understand the challenges, highlight the factors that support its successful implementation, as well as those that act as constraints. The goal is, through continuous dialogue between theory, research, and practice, to strengthen the commitment of all those involved in the design and implementation of this reform toward improvement and change, and to support the socio-pedagogical mission of preschools as a learning community.

The conference is addressed to current and future teachers of both specialties, education officials, and all those interested in the holistic and interdisciplinary approach to language learning in early childhood. It aspires to create a space for meeting and dialogue among distinguished academics, education officials, teachers, and students, with the aim of fostering fruitful exchanges that will have immediate benefits for the school reality.