Growing up with more than one language

Many families speak two or three languages, as Learn does. Children can learn several languages at once. Here are a few simple ideas for parents who want to support them.

What we know

Children's brains can learn more than one language from birth. Speech and language professionals, such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, say that learning two languages does not cause language delay or confusion. A child may know fewer words in each language than a child who hears only one, but the total across languages is about the same.

Mixing languages in a sentence is normal for bilingual children and adults. It is a skill, not a mistake.

Ideas that help

• Talk a lot, in the language you use best. Warm, natural talk matters more than perfect grammar.
• Some families keep one language for each parent. Others use a home language at home and another outside. Pick a pattern you can keep up.
• Read, sing and play in every language you want your child to have. Hearing a language from different people and in different places helps it grow.
• Let your child answer in whichever language they can. Reply in yours and keep the conversation going.

Learn in three languages

Lessons in Learn are available in English, Spanish and Filipino, so a child can meet the same activity in each. The first-words lesson for ages 0 to 2 has simple words in all three. The Spanish and Filipino pages were written with AI assistance and have not yet been checked by a native speaker. Please read them first, and tell us if something is wrong.

When to ask for help

If you are worried about your child's speech, hearing or development, talk with your paediatrician or a speech and language professional. Ask them to look at all of your child's languages, not only one.

Where this comes from

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, practice portal and public information on bilingual language development
• Erika Hoff, Cynthia Core, Silvia Place, Rosario Rumiche, Melissa Señor and Marisol Parra, “Dual language exposure and early bilingual development”, Journal of Child Language 39 (2012): 1 to 27

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.