Many European children begin to learn a (foreign) language at a very early age, and early foreign language learning has thus evolved into a paradigm that seems to have settled as a steady companion of everyday school life. The aim of this contribution, which addresses the topic of early foreign language learning from the participant’s, i.e. the student’s, point-of-view, is to determine students’ reasons for learning a foreign language, as articulated by the students themselves. The research analysis will investigate the motivational aspects that influence learning, and will also illustrate and interpret the research results of a study in which approx. 300 students aged 6-10 years from 9 different countries participated. The analysis will not be country specific, but will highlight common motivational features that recur in all the students’ replies and reveal – as expected-not a linguistic, but a decisively pragmatic focus in the process of language learning.

Many countries across the world have been lowering the starting age of foreign language learning (FLL) to an earlier age. While the roles of learners and teachers have mostly been studied from a variety of perspectives, learners’ parents have often been examined for their opinions of FLL, but not as real partners who need the same amount of ‘reculturing’ as other involved stakeholders. In the presented case study, parents were involved in the planning and implementing of lowering the FLL starting age from age 9 to age 6. The results of the questionnaire and the teachers’ interviews show that ‘recultured’ parents’ attitudes to lowering the starting age can differ greatly from those of ‘non-recultured’ parents if the most important variables for the successful implementation of an educational change have been fulfilled. The ‘recultured’ parents’ model can be of great help to decision makers and other stakeholders involved in teaching foreign languages.