Bilingual Children and Speech-Language Delays
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With U.S. Census Bureau data indicating that at least 350 languages are being spoken across American homes—and nearly 10% of school-age children nationwide who are classified as English language learners (ELLs)—bilingual children are far from rare in the United States. Yet misconceptions about speaking two languages are common—to the potential detriment of these dual language learners.
In all, roughly 5 million ELLs attend U.S. public schools. Spanish was the home language of 3.7 million ELL students in 2014–15, representing 77.1% of all ELL students and 7.6% of all public K–12 students.
While bilingual children starting school may face initial challenges if they don’t speak English, it is important for parents to understand that being bilingual does not cause delays in a child’s speech/language development.
Some special treatment considerations are involved when bilingual children have speech/language disorders. However, parents should know that the disorders are not caused by being exposed to two languages. In fact, being bilingual provides children with many long-term advantages—educational and otherwise.
Bilingual Speech/Language Development
Young children who are exposed to two languages have the same speech/language development trajectory as those who are exposed to one language. As with other children, most bilingual children will speak their first word by age 1 (such as “mama” or “dada”) and will use two-word phrases by age 2 (such as “my ball” or “more juice”). Some bilingual children may mix grammar rules from time to time, or they might use words from both languages in the same sentence. This is a normal part of bilingual language development and does not mean that a child is confused. If a child has a speech/language problem, it will show up in both languages. Here are ways to support your child:
Become familiar with communication milestones.
Children who are exposed to two or more languages should meet the same developmental milestones that other children meet. Parents should pay close attention to these milestones and learn the initial signs of a communication disorder.
Seek out a bilingual professional
If a child has not met communication milestones, seek out an evaluation by a bilingual speech-language pathologist who is knowledgeable in the area of second language acquisition. A searchable database of professionals nationwide is available at the American-Speech Language Hearing Association. Pediatricians, friends, and neighbors may also have recommendations. If a bilingual speech-language pathologist is not available in an area, look for a speech-language pathologist who can work with an interpreter.
Contact the local school system
School-age children who require assistance can receive services within their schools. Children as young as three years old may qualify for the local Early Intervention program, also administered through the public school system. For a communication disorder, the earlier that treatment begins, the better—so don’t delay if there is any concern.
Read to your child
Support your child’s speech-language developmental milestones by reading to them in both languages. Public libraries have a variety of children’s books in other languages besides English.
If you have concerns about your child’s speech-language development in English or Spanish, contact SpeechWorks.
Jann Fujimoto, MS CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and owner of SpeechWorks located in Oconomowoc, WI. SpeechWorks helps toddlers to teens become confident communicators through online and in person speech therapy services. If you have concerns about your child’s speech-language development, contact SpeechWorks at 262-490-5653.
