Let’s talk about: bilingualism

Speech pathologists often see bilingual families in our practice. When bilingual parents contact a speech pathologist, we often hear these questions or concerns:

“I don’t want to confuse my child. Maybe we should just speak English...”

“Is my child’s language delayed because we are speaking two languages at home?”

The short answer is NO - but let’s break this down and read about facts and myths of bilingual language development.

MYTH: Speaking more than one language will confuse a child.

BUSTED: There is no evidence that children get confused when caregivers speak two languages. Research shows that a bilingual child can distinguish their two languages - and they can do this very early - even at only a few months old - as shown in infant language experiments! Infants

can learn how to use their languages separately, with whom they can speak each language, and when it is acceptable to mix them, even using both in the same sentence - which brings us to our next myth of bilingualism:

MYTH: Is mixing languages (“code-mixing”) bad? Should I correct them? Should I stop this?

BUSTED: Mixing languages is NORMAL, and almost all bilinguals do it for a variety of purposes — for children, they often do it to fill in a current gap in vocabulary. It’s rare for bilinguals to have an exact vocabulary match in each language: some of our social, work, and family circles don’t overlap and thus our language for some topics will be limited to one of our languages (this can change over time). The research is ongoing to determine if mixing has some effect on early word-learning; but, it may be the case that this mixing can lead to later cognitive benefits.

MYTH: Does speaking more than one language cause a language delay or disorder?

BUSTED: Shout it from the rooftop: NO. I want to draw attention to this myth, as some of you readers have visited this site because you may have a child with a language delay/disorder. In whatever context your child is exposed to 2+ languages, let’s make it clear: Bilingualism does not cause a language delay or disorder. Bilingual language development does not always look the same as monolingual language development - this does NOT mean your child has a language delay! A child may appear to have less words in each of their languages, but if you combine their TOTAL vocabulary of both languages (don’t double count!), bilingual children have approximately the same number of total words. For example, the bilingual child might have roughly 70% of their words in one language, and 30% in the other (70 Korean words, 30 English words) but have approximately the same number of words as a monolingual child (100 English words).

Many people around the world grow up bilingual. There is so much variability in the experience of bilingual children, each experience of growing up bilingual is unique: one or both parents may be bilingual, one may be strictly monolingual…now think about who speaks multiple languages to them - parents, grandparents, siblings, daycare providers, other community members… NOW think of how the languages are used: perhaps two languages are spoken at home with family (a bilingual parent and a monolingual parent), perhaps grandparents are bilingual and care for the child on a weekly basis, etc.

Children can grow up to be proficient users of two or more languages if they are given good quality support in each language: high-quality and high-quantity exposure in each language is key. Children may be less proficient in one of their languages for a number of reasons. For example, if a child is only exposed to a second language for one hour per week with a grandparent, progress in this second language will be limited.

A great way to support bilingual language development is shared reading in the family’s languages. Reading is a great way to promote vocabulary development. Pause while reading and take opportunities to comment on the pictures with your child in the target language, ask questions about the story, and more - stories can also be a great way to connect with cultural history. You can explore https://storybookscanada.ca/ , which is a free resource promoting language and literacy development. There are different levels and approx. 20 languages available for viewing and download (audio is also available).

“What if I STILL think my child has a language delay or disorder?”

It is important to talk about bilingualism with your child’s healthcare providers and speech pathologist, and ensure that they are knowledgeable about bilingual language development and assessment so that your child can be supported according to their needs. Children with developmental disabilities can grow up bilingual, including those with specific language impairment, Autism, and Down Syndrome. Communication in your family’s native language or a heritage language may also mean that the child feels more included in family culture and values throughout development. A diagnosis does not mean that your child can’t develop as a bilingual.

**As always, this blog post does not replace an assessment or individualized recommendations for speech-language therapy by a certified SLP. Contact a speech-language pathologist to ensure that your family member is receiving the right supports to help them grow.

Research Byers-Heinlein K, Lew-Williams C. Bilingualism in the Early Years: What the Science Says. Learn Landsc. 2013 Fall;7(1):95-112. PMID: 30288204; PMCID: PMC6168212.