In this study, we investigate how professionals in early childhood education (ECE) reason about multilingualism. Empirical data are analyzed in terms of ‘traditions of argumentation’ which proposes that we cannot argue for something without, explicitly or implicitly, arguing against something else. The analyses use transcribed data from two focus groups conducted with teachers in two preschools in Sweden. These teachers had experience teaching culturally and linguistically diverse groups of children. The reoccurring rhetorical strategy used by the teachers to talk about their work with multilingual children used a set of contrasts. Three contrasts were identified: (1) I/we versus them (others); (2) here-and-now versus there-and-then; and (3) building ECE on research versus personal experience. The study has implications for teachers and students in preschool teacher education to understand the possible tensions and contrasts inherent in teaching culturally and linguistically diverse children. Rather than simplifying professional practice to either side of a dichotomy, teachers should be encouraged to understand and verbalize the bases of their professional knowledge, and understand the different positions from which they draw knowledge to inform practice.

在这项研究中，我们调查了幼儿教育（ECE）中的专业人员如何使用多种语言。经验数据是根据“论证传统”进行分析的，这表明我们不能在没有明示或暗示地反对其他事物的情况下为某些事物辩护。分析使用了来自两个焦点小组的转录数据，这些焦点小组是与瑞典两个幼儿园的老师进行的。这些老师有教过不同文化和语言的儿童群体的经验。老师反复使用的修辞策略谈论与多语种儿童的交往时使用了一系列对比。确定了三个对比：（1）我/我们与它们（其他）；（2）在这里，和现在相比有和，然后; （3）在研究而非个人经验的基础上建立欧洲经委会。这项研究对学前教师教育中的师生产生了潜在的影响，使他们了解在教育具有文化和语言多样性的孩子时可能存在的张力和对比。应该鼓励教师理解和口述其专业知识的基础，而不是将专业实践简化为二分法的任何一方，而应鼓励他们理解从中汲取知识以指导实践的不同立场。