1. What Languages should I speak to my child?

Your home language or any language you are comfortable speaking in. You can also communicate with the child in more than one language for example, English and Arabic.

2. At what age should we expose our child to the second language?

There is no specific age. If you already speak another language at home, it is fine for the child to not only hear it, but to also be spoken to in that language.

3. Should we wait until he gets control of the home language first, or should we start as early as possible?

The child will continue to develop their ability for language for many years. This is true for one or more languages, so there is no need to wait and you can make a choice that is suitable for your family.

4. What languages should other members of the family speak to the child?

Their own language or the language of your home. It really depends on what you want your child to learn. In some families, the child speaks to the grandparents in one language and then speaks to the parents in another. The choice is yours, the one advice we often give parents is that whatever languages you choose to speak to the child in, make sure you are as consistent as possible. This is because research shows that consistent talk that is rich is good vocabulary helps the child learn language- any language.

5. Don’t children get confused when they hear two languages spoken around them?

No, they do not get confused and much research has shown that they are able to distinguish between the two languages. Some people who do not completely understand how children learn language will say to you that your child appears to be slow because of the other language, but this is not true.

6. My children used to speak our language just fine, but now that they’re going to school, they mix it up with English all the time. What can I do?

This is normal and very common among many children around the world. You can decide what to do, you can either speak your home language all the time or you can also mix like your child. Both of these choices will support his/her language. But, if you want your child to learn your language well, it would be good for you to speak to him/her only in that language. This way he can learn his language with you at home and then learn the other language at school.

7. Will raising my child in a bilingual home lead to speech and language delays?

No, it should not, and many times people say this but science and linguistic research has shown that learning more than one language does not lead to speech delays. As long as your child is developing like his/her peers and is medically sound, there should be no issue. Much of the research shows that language, even for monolingual children, is a complex journey.

8. Can my child with language or learning difficulties learn more than one language?

Yes, they can even though it may be slower than his/her siblings or peers but do not be discouraged continue speaking to your child in more than one language. You will see that over time he/she will learn to speak both languages.

9. How much exposure to each language does my child need to become fluent?

This is a difficult question to answer. There is no actual amount or number of words or hours, but what we do know from research is that you need to be consistent and offer them as much of the language as possible. So for example, you could talk to them in that language or languages, read to them, sing with them or even watch some cartoons online in those languages.

10. We are bilingual parents, but are considering raising our child mono-lingually at home, using only the societal language. However, we speak the societal language with a strong accent and are more proficient in our native language. Is this a good idea?

There is no problem, and you can make such choices. What research suggests is that you speak to the child in the language you are comfortable with and that you are confident in, because this will increase the child’s knowledge and confidence in the language. It would be great if you spoke to your child in your home language because he will learn the societal language in a very short time and become very good at it. There are many benefits to bilingualism, some families feel that their child can connect to their ancestors’ cultures or religion or customs or even later get a better job because they speak more than one language. I would say choose what suits your family and engage in small actions that will make your lives harmonious.

Frequently Asked Questions:

You can get more and more benefit from our blogs from here: