: In this paper, I focused on kindergarten teachers' viewpoints on speaking in the standard language when working with children. In the theoretical part, I defined Slovene as an official language, and I determined language-related elements from the Constitution and Slovene legislation in the field of preschool education. I went on to portray social genres of Slovene, describing their classification and determining the circumstances in which they are used. I also described a kindergarten teacher's speech culture and pedagogical speech and presented the factors behind appropriate pedagogical speech. The importance of kindergarten teachers' self-assessment to improve their speech or giving a speech was also determined. In the end, I described the field of language as portrayed in the Kindergarten Curriculum and the influence of a hidden curriculum on kindergarten teachers' speech.
In the empirical part, I studied kindergarten teachers' viewpoints on speaking in the standard language when working with children. The research comprised approximately 100 kindergarten teachers of preschool children and their assistants. The descriptive method of data collection was used. The results of the research are interpreted by the means of basic descriptive statistics using tables and in text. The analysis showed that kindergarten teachers and their assistants believe it is important that they speak to children in the standard language and that education is an important factor in speech. Kindergarten teachers very often use the standard language in planned activities, and often in non-planned activities. By conducting this research, I gained an insight into kindergarten teachers' viewpoints on speaking in the standard language when working with children.
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