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The Bilingual Baby
by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Children who grow up hearing two different languages face certain challenges, and also have some advantages. Bilingualism stirs up a lot of controversy, both political and educational. In the United States, the controversy is the hottest in parts of the country where there are more children whose first language is not English.
As parents, it's easy to be confused by the conflicting voices. Here are some basic concepts about bilingualism that I think are widely agreed upon:- When babies grow up hearing two different languages in about equal amounts, most become fluent in both languages simultaneously. There is no cost in terms of emotional or intellectual (cognitive) delays. In some ways, bilingual children may have an advantage. For example, they may find it easier to learn certain grammar rules or rules relating to reading and writing. And, of course, they can speak with a wider range of people than can children who speak a single language
- When certain language assessments are done on young bilingual children, the children can appear delayed, when in fact they aren't. For example, a 15-month bilingual toddler might only say two or three English words. However, if you add in the Spanish words, the total number of words is six or seven--well within the normal range. By about age five, most bilingual children have caught up and will test well in both languages.
- There are a small number of children who have biologically-based language learning disorders, usually due to genetics. These children have difficulty learning one language, and they really have terrible difficulty learning two languages. A child with a known language disorder is probably better off growing up in a monolingual, or single language environment.
- All children need to hear language that is grammatically correct in order to be able to figure out how to make sense out of words. By grammatically correct, I don't mean that everything has to be perfect King's English, only that the rules have to be followed pretty consistently.
Babies and young children get into trouble if their parents try to talk to them in a language that they are not really fluent in. This happens in some families that have recently immigrated to the U.S. Well-meaning parents sometimes try to talk to their babies in English, even though they don't speak English fluently, in the hopes that it will help their children grow up "American." This results in the children having a terrible time learning language at all. It's far better for the parents to talk in their own language, and let the children pick up English later.
- Up until about 10 years of age, children can learn a second language in the same incredibly efficient way that they learned their first language, and they can learn to speak without an accent. After about age 10, language learning comes less naturally, and it's very hard for most people to get rid of their accents.
- There is a lot of controversy about bilingual education. It's clear, however, that children whose first language is not English have the same basic educational needs as all children: responsive, well-trained, happy teachers; plenty of individual attention (small classes); and safe, comfortable schools and classrooms. At the present, many of the children in bilingual classes come from economically stressed homes. In order to overcome the two hurdles of language difference and poverty, these children need lots and lots of help, no matter the language it is given in.
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Created December 16, 2000
Reviewed December 18, 2000
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