On a shoestring: child speakers of other languages in Slovak education

Abstract This article focuses on children who cannot speak the language of the majority when they enter the school system. It recommends that the term child speakers of other languages should be adopted in Slovakia. Various approaches and types of support used in other European countries (Germany, Denmark, Czechia) are presented. These could be adopted nationally to integrate these children in school. The legal situation and current situation in preschools and primary school is also explored. The article outlines potential forms of support for preschool children and their families that require little in the way of additional funding and human resources.