ABSTRACT
Early second language (L2) learning has become increasingly popular in Slovakia in recent years for several reasons. It reflects the European Union policy of multilingualism going hand in hand with the introduction of compulsory learning of the first L2, usually English, in primary education during the latest educational reform. The investigation surveyed the quantity and quality of early L2 education in Slovakia, with the intention of using the findings to draft suggestions and recommendations constituting a framework for pre-primary L2 teacher training programmes. In accordance with current legislation on education, pre-primary institutions represent the first step in the Slovak school system. Questionnaire responses from the school directors belonged mostly to institutions that were situated in larger municipalities, that is, the district and regional capitals. The languages taught included English, in an expected majority of schools, German and French, and 3 per cent of pre-primary institutions were described as offering education in two L2s.
