Speaking more than one language is common throughout the world, according to the Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting. Through language, your child learns to understand others and communicate his thoughts and observations. A bilingual child can speak and understand two languages, a skill which requires persistent exposure for complete acquisition and development.
Benefits
A child learning two languages can experience the same proficiency in both languages as a child learning only one. It can help her to relate more to her culture if one of the languages is primarily used by relatives. She will be able to use both languages to express herself, which is especially beneficial if she does not yet know enough of one language and needs to borrow from the other to get her point across.
Baby Milestones
According to the Colorin Colorado website, your child can experience the same milestones as a child speaking only one language as long as he has regular exposure to both languages. Beginning as a baby, he will experiment with the different sounds he can make, combining consonants and vowels by six months of age. As he approaches one year, he will practice using the tones and speaking patterns of both languages, saying one or more words by 18 months.
Toddler and Older Milestones
By the time your child is 24 months old, she will say about 50 to 70 words and will be able to understand as many as 200. Before two years of age, she will speak in two-word to three-word sentences, and will have a vocabulary of 800 words by age four. The number of words that she can use may be split between the two languages.
Considerations
Family Doctor states that your child's brain has to work harder to learn two languages, so it may take longer for him to begin using them. If your child is exposed to only one language for a long period of time, such as an extended time visiting relatives, he may prefer to use that language for a while. This is normal and is only temporary. With regular exposure to each language, he can return to using both.
Encouraging Development
Your child's continued development of both languages depends on her motivation, opportunities to use the language and the value of its use. Although language is primarily learned at home, her language development depends on grandparents, peers, teachers and all caregivers in her life. Talk extensively to her so that she can learn through observation, and make sure she has opportunities to use both languages in her daily life. If you are concerned about her language development, discuss it with her doctor.
References
- Babycenter: Developmental Milestone: Talking
- Colorin Colorado: Bilingual Acquisition
- Scholastic Parents: Speaking Two Languages to a Toddler
- Family Doctor: Speech and Language Delay: What Does This Mean for My Child?
- Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting: First- and Second-Language Acquisition in Early Childhood
