Abstract: Actions to address the shortage of foreign language teachers in early education pose some challenges considering the training of future teachers. The purpose of this article is to present communicative approach and CLIL as threshold concepts. Material and methods: Arnold van Gennep's theory of liminality and characteristics of threshold concepts by Jan H. F. Meyer and Ray Land. Results: Grounding the methodological course for non-philological or linguistic graduates in threshold concepts strengthen the course considering the actual pedagogical practice and the challenges posed by the constantly updated documents qualifying pedagogical students for teaching English as a foreign language to children. Conclusions: The specific methodological indications basing on the threshold concepts of early foreign language teaching in general pedagogical studies will help students to combine key recommendations in the field of glottodidactics within their didactic and educational impact.