EN 13 EN Good practice for continuity – Swedish immersion for Finnish-speaking children (Finland) Proven orientations for the criteria of equity, quality, continuity and consistency 2) Align programmes involving ELL with the principles and provisions applicable to early childhood education and care, encouraging multilingual activities as part of the child’s social, emotional and cognitive development, focusing on children’s communication in everyday situations and intercultural skills through an integrated approach and moving away from a traditional language teaching approach. 3) Foster equitable access to ELL by ensuring consistency between objectives, context, resources and outcomes. 4) Strike an appropriate balance between raising awareness of different languages and cultures and learning one particular language, in particular by encouraging the further development of bilingualism in countries which offer such a possibility. 5) Ensure quality and continuity in language programmes with a special focus on the link between pre-primary and primary school. Support research and modelling for reconciling curricula with the diverse language competencies of pupils starting compulsory schooling, in particular those with special needs. 6) Where responsibilities are split between authorities in charge of childcare on the one hand and language education on the other, ensure proper coordination. 7. P EDAGOGICAL PROCESSES This chapter addresses the issues of staff (early childhood carers and educators) working in a pre-primary school setting. Appropriate pedagogical processes area key factor in ensuring quality, consistency and sustainability in ELL. Irrespective of the range of approaches, there is evidence that increasing demand for ELL is creating increasing requirements for skilled staff and appropriate pedagogical materials. The amount of time devoted to exposure to the second/foreign language is also an important variable.