Bilingualism and Language Development in Early Childhood

A question I get a lot is: Will learning a second language cause a language delay in my child? The short answer is "no". But that's not very helpful, is it? Let's take a brief look at the research.

Dr. Susanne Döpke, who has a Doctorate in linguistics and a Masters in Speech Pathology, reported that children who learned two languages at home tended to meet the milestones for language development in at least one of the two languages at the same time as monolingual children. If you're like me, reading a sentence like that can take a few times to understand, so let's see an example to help make it clearer.

Let's pretend we have a three year old daughter named Mary, and that Mary is learning English and French. Mary speaks English with her parents, and French with her grandparents. Mary spends the most time with her parents. She can communicate in three to four word phrases and can understand two-three step directions. She makes the occasional articulation error, but overall her English skills are age-appropriate. She sees her grandparents once a week and understands when her grandparents speak to her in French. She can say one to two word combinations in French, and will often use a mix of French and English. Her skills in French are not as strong as her skills in English, but she gets by. In this example, Mary is developing normally, because her English skills are typical for her age. With enough exposure and practice, Mary's French will continue to develop as well.

How can we support Mary to learn both languages?

The key to learning language lies in the frequency and quality of interactions in each language. Words that are heard more frequently will generally be learned more quickly. But that alone is not enough. Situations in which the words are heard are equally as important. A child may hear their parents talking about their car, but as they are not included in that interaction, it will likely be much less potent then if parents talk to their child about all the different cars they see in a parking lot. In the latter example, the words are much more salient and relevant, and the child is more likely to connect the word to the item and remember it for the next time. Grammar acquisition is similar to vocabulary acquisition in that the frequency and quality of exposure will determine how quickly the skills are acquired.

According to the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), here are additional things to consider:

• It's best to start when the child is younger, as the brain is more elastic, but it is never too late to learn a second language!

• Focus on what is being said, rather than how it is being said

  • It is perfectly normal for your child to "code-switch", which means to use both languages in a single thought (for instance, maman, je veux a snack!)

  • It's more important to accept the message and let the child know they are heard and understood

• When children are younger, they don't really understand that different words come from different languages. What they may learn is that they use certain words with certain people, or in certain environments. To help frame each language, exposure can be separated by:

  • Speaker: one parent/caregiver can speak to the child in one language while the other speaks in a second language (for instance, French with parent(s) and Spanish with grandparents)

    • Parents are encouraged to speak the language in which they are most comfortable

    • This helps to ensure that you are teaching proper vocabulary and grammar

    • Culture is also closely intertwined with language, think about nursery rhymes, songs, stories that belong uniquely to certain cultures

  • Setting: different languages can also be used in different environments (for instance, French in daycare/school and English at home)

  • Topic: one language can be used when talking about school, while another can be used when talking about a television show

Why do children default to saying certain words in one language over the other?

Dr. Döpke found this is due to the ease of saying things in one language over another. For example, when I was a child, my mother was encouraging me to say "biscuit" (french word for cookie). Try as I might, I could only say an approximation of the word that sounded like "tutuit". After multiple tries, I looked at her and said "cookie please". I am happy to report that I did get my cookie! As I was still mastering sounds in both languages, it was easier for me sequence the sounds in "cookie" than it was in "biscuit". But with regular practice, I did end up mastering this word in both languages. An important word for a child, if you ask me!

What's the take-away?

If your child is meeting their language milestones in at least one of the two languages, there is no need to worry. Your child's language is developing normally! If you are noticing significant differences or delays in both languages, whether it be in your child's ability to understand directions, express themselves, articulate clearly, play appropriately with other children, or any combination thereof, it is recommended that you seek speech therapy for your child.

References:

Döpke, S. (n.d.). Raising Children in more than one Language: Language Development in Bilingual Children. https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/3546379/Language_development.pdf

ASHA. Learning more than one Language. Retrieved on June 29th 2025. https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/learning-more-than-one-language/?srsltid=AfmBOopA6XMoeHIhMVL5mzXJyXyWTVFWm7SkEo_kE23r9JenhuAZ-cMH