Bilingualism

What is bilingualism?

A bilingual person uses two or more languages in their everyday conversations.

Each family is different

Many children learn their first language at home and begin learning English when they start nursery.

Some families speak two or more languages at home.

How can you help?

  • Encourage your child to learn both languages.
  • Speak to your child in your own language. Your child will learn the most from you.
  • Children who have good knowledge of their home language can learn English more easily when they get to nursery.
  • Play games, sing songs and tell stories in your home language.
  • Do not worry about mixing different languages in one sentence.  This is quite natural for a bilingual speaker.

Will my child be slow to talk if they have more than one language?

There is no evidence to show that children will be slow to talk if they are learning more than one language. In fact, a lot of research shows that having more than one language is an advantage.

My child is not talking at nursery. Is this OK?

If your child doesn’t speak English at home, when they start at nursery they may have a ‘quiet’ few months where they are listening and learning English before starting to speak it.

Why does my child mix two languages when they talk?

It is normal for bilingual children to mix languages when they talk. People often use the word that they think of first. This could be your home language or English.

Is it better to learn two languages together, or one after another?

There is no difference in the long term if a child learns one language, then another or if the child learns two at the same time. The important thing is they have enough exposure to all languages they are learning.