Language is one of the key pillars of a child's holistic development, because it is through
language that a child learns about the world, expresses himself, builds relationships and shapes
his identity. As future preschool teachers, we must be aware of the linguistic influence we have
through our own activity and example in kindergarten. Adult speech is an important external
factor that directly shapes a child's linguistic culture, so preschool teachers must consciously
cultivate their communication style and be aware of the importance of appropriate language use
in the educational process.
In the theoretical part, I first present the Slovenian language with an emphasis on social genres
and research into standard and non-standard language. I then define the various functions of the
Slovenian language and examine Slovenian as a language of instruction in more detail, based
on an analysis of key legislative documents in this area. I devote particular attention to the use
of Slovenian standard language in kindergartens, based on the guidelines of the Curriculum for
kindergartens (2025) and the findings of relevant research to date.
In the empirical part, I present and interpret the results of a survey conducted among preschool
teachers from various Slovenian kindergartens. The purpose of the research is to determine how
preschool teachers understand the meaning of standard language and what their attitudes are
towards its use in everyday practice. I also examine the frequency and consistency of the use
of standard language in communication with children, parents and colleagues, and check
whether there are differences among preschool teachers according to their length of service,
level of education or region.
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