Do bilingual or multilingual children develop language later than kids who speak one language? If so, how do you know when it’s actually a delay that needs attention?
—Anonymous
Unfortunately, this is a myth we need to debunk.
As of 2016, approximately 12 million children in the United States spoke a language other than English at home. Bilingual language learners have historically been both overidentified and underidentified regularly in the U.S. as having a developmental language disorder. This is due to standardized testing and language assessment protocols being developed with two assumptions in mind: one, that the child being tested probably speaks only one language and, two, that they only speak English. While changes have been made in recent years to prevent these discrepancies, your instinctual concern is valid.
From an early age, children are naturally able to detect multiple languages simultaneously, and they build separate linguistic systems in their brain. A linguistic system typically comprises vocabulary (semantics, morphology), symbolic language forms (idioms, puns), the word order of our sentences (syntax), storytelling (narratives), an alphabet and its corresponding sounds (phonology), and even non-spoken modes of communication (gestures, facial expressions). So when a child is learning words, they are actually organizing information into “files” within their linguistic system that they can open when answering questions or having conversations later on. For instance, when a dual Spanish-English-speaking child is learning about a mariposa, or a butterfly, out in the world, they will see its colors and its movement, listen to songs mentioning it, and read books about it; all of this knowledge in tandem helps them label the insect by its name in both languages.
A typically developing dual language learner will eventually have a vocabulary that is equal to or greater than a monolingual English speaker, because they are storing double (or more, depending on the number of languages) the amount of words and phrases. Not only that, they are also able to “code switch,” or alternate their use of both languages when speaking, which is done within many bilingual communities.
As a result of learning two languages at the same time, the rate at which these children are acquiring both languages is slower than if they were learning only one. Appearing to be “delayed,” they are actually right on track. As a parent, you should always feel encouraged and empowered to speak your “language of love,” or your “heritage language,” to maintain a connection to your community and cultural identity. Additionally, researchers have confirmed that bilingual parents will naturally model culturally meaningful words and expressions for their children more often in their native language, as compared with their second language, while having conversations and telling stories.With this in mind, I would like to pose a few questions I typically ask parents and caregivers with your same concerns. First, is your child paying attention to objects and events nearby with you and sharing in the joy of discovery? Next, is your child pointing to or reaching for you or an object they are interested in? Finally, is your child saying words across both languages while they are playing and/or sharing ideas? If you found yourself saying “no” to any of these questions, then I would talk to your pediatrician or seek out a consultation with a speech-language pathologist.
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The questions you share are really helpful. Around what age would you expect the answer to these to be yes?
Hi @maggiebeans, thank you so much for that feedback! I’m so glad you have found them to be helpful. To answer your follow-up question, the research shows us that dual language learners should have vocabularies that are similar in size to monolingual speakers by around 22-30 months of age, or just under 2 years old to around 2.5 years old. So that would be the time frame in which I would really start to consider an evaluation with a speech-language pathologist, either directly with a known provider or through your state’s Early Intervention services program. I’m not sure where you currently reside, but each state has its own Early Intervention program, typically outlined on its website, which will provide you with the information you need to get started. I hope that helps!