Bilingual children and speech delay: myths and real signs

Learning two or more languages does not cause speech or language delay. Bilingual children are no more likely than other children to have a language disorder, and when a real disorder is present, it shows up in all of the child's languages, not just one.^[][] If your child is struggling in only one language, the usual explanation is less exposure to that language, not a delay. If they're struggling in every language, see a speech pathologist, and ask for an assessment that covers each language your child speaks.^[]

Bilingual families are common in Australia

At the 2021 Census, 5.8 million Australians (22.8%) used a language other than English at home.^[] Speech Pathology Australia estimates that around a quarter of Australian households speak a language other than English.^[] Yet many parents are still given outdated advice about raising children with more than one language.^[]

Four myths, and what the research says

Myth 1: two languages cause speech delay

Speech Pathology Australia calls this a myth that decades of research have disproved. Communication disorders are just as common in monolingual children as in multilingual children.^[] Raising Children Network says learning more than one language at the same time won't affect how early or quickly a child learns to speak.^[] A review of bilingual development research reached the same conclusion: a similar proportion of bilingual and monolingual children have a language delay or disorder.^[]

Myth 2: dropping the home language will help

Families are sometimes told to switch to English only. Speech Pathology Australia is clear that this won't fix a communication disorder and can do more harm than good. It cuts children off from skills they've already built in their home language, and from relatives who only speak it.^[] Raising Children Network adds that children from families with limited English do better learning English at school if they keep using their home language, because a strong first language makes a second one easier to learn.^[]

Myth 3: mixing languages means confusion

Using words from two languages in one sentence is called code-mixing. It's a normal part of bilingual development, and children learn early to keep their languages apart.^[][]

Myth 4: fewer words means falling behind

Bilingual children often know fewer words in each language than a child who speaks only that language. Add the words from both languages together, though, and the gap disappears. Researchers call this total or conceptual vocabulary.^[] A toddler with 25 English words and 30 Arabic words is not behind a child with 50 English words.

What's different about bilingual development

Speech Pathology Australia notes that multilingual children learn different skills at different times, so they may not hit every milestone written for monolingual children, and that alone doesn't mean they have a disorder.^[] Raising Children Network says bilingual children may seem to learn language more slowly, but this isn't considered language delay, and by school age they learn to read and write English as well as their peers.^[]

How to spot a real delay in a bilingual child

The most useful question is whether the difficulty appears in all of your child's languages.^[]

Standard warning signs still apply, counting words in all of your child's languages. Raising Children Network suggests getting advice if, by 2, a child isn't saying about 50 different words or isn't putting 2 or more words together.^[] See your GP promptly if your child stops using words or skills they had before, or if you have any concerns about hearing.^[] More signs by age are on our 2-year-old milestones page.

If difficulties in understanding and using language continue past about 3 to 3 and a half, it may be a developmental language disorder. Our page on language disorder explains what that means.^[]

How assessment should work

Speech Pathology Australia says research shows all of a child's languages need to be assessed to identify their communication needs accurately.^[] An international expert panel on multilingual children's speech adds that children are entitled to assessment and therapy that respect their existing skills, culture and history.^[]

A good assessment for a bilingual child usually involves:

• Each language, not just English. The speech pathologist looks at how your child speaks and understands in every language they use.^[]
• An interpreter if needed. If the speech pathologist doesn't speak your language, they can work with an interpreter for information-sharing, assessment and therapy.^[]
• You as the expert. Parents know the family's language environment and culture, and can support the home language as well as English.^[]
• Therapy in all languages. Intervention works best when it's provided in all of a child's languages.^[]

Speech Pathology Australia's online Find a speech pathologist search lets you look for a speech pathologist who speaks your language.^[]

Questions to ask

• Will you assess my child in both (or all) of their languages?
• Will you use a professional interpreter?
• How will therapy support our home language as well as English?
• What can we practise at home, and in which language?

Bring short videos of your child talking at home in each language. They show the speech pathologist what your child can do when they're relaxed.

What to do next

Keep speaking your home language. It isn't the cause of a delay, and it isn't the fix. If your child is behind in every language, or you're not sure, talk to your GP or child and family health nurse, or contact a speech pathologist directly. Our speech therapy page explains how sessions work.

For a sound-by-sound guide, see speech sounds by age.

If you'd like to talk it through, you can send Hey Sprout an enquiry.