“Maybe we should just stick to English at home.” It’s one of the most common pieces of advice bilingual families hear when a child is slow to talk — often from a well-meaning relative, a teacher, or even a doctor. If you’ve been told to drop a language to help your child catch up, take a breath. The research doesn’t support that advice, and dropping a home language can come at a real cost to your family.
The myth of “language confusion”
For decades, people assumed that hearing two languages would overload a young brain and cause delays. Decades of research have found the opposite: bilingualism does not cause speech or language delay. Bilingual children may mix words from both languages in the same sentence sometimes, a normal process called code-switching, but this is a sign of a flexible, developing brain — not confusion.
If a bilingual child does have a genuine speech or language delay, it will show up in both languages, not just one. That distinction matters, because it’s the key to telling typical bilingual development apart from something that may need support.
What typical bilingual development looks like
- A slightly smaller vocabulary in each individual language, but a combined vocabulary across both that is on par with — or larger than — monolingual peers.
- Mixing words or grammar from both languages in the same sentence, especially between ages two and four.
- A brief “silent period” when starting to hear a new language, where a child listens more than they speak.
- Reaching major milestones, like first words and first phrases, within the same general window as monolingual children.
Signs worth a closer look
- Limited vocabulary or a delay in speaking that shows up in both languages, not just the newer one.
- Difficulty understanding simple directions in either language.
- Little interest in communicating at all, regardless of language.
- Trouble being understood by familiar family members, even in the home language.
Why we assess in every language your child speaks
An evaluation for a bilingual child should never happen in just one language. A child might test as “delayed” in English while actually communicating just fine in their home language — an inaccurate picture that can lead to unnecessary worry, or worse, a missed diagnosis if the reverse is true. Whenever possible, we gather information about both languages, often with the help of a parent or interpreter who knows the family’s home language well.
Keep your home language
Your family’s language isn’t just a communication tool — it’s how your child connects with grandparents, culture, and identity. Dropping it doesn’t speed up English; it can actually remove some of a child’s richest, most natural opportunities to communicate at home. Keep talking, singing, and reading to your child in whatever language feels most natural to you. A parent who is comfortable and connected is worth more than a parent forcing an unfamiliar language.
When to reach out
If your child isn’t meeting expressive language milestones in any of their languages, or if you’re simply unsure what’s typical for a bilingual household, a screening can help sort it out. We’ll look at the whole picture, in every language your child speaks, so you get an accurate answer instead of a guess.
Ready to talk it through?
Communication Cottage Therapy offers a free 15-minute consultation to answer your questions and help you decide on next steps. We provide in-home, in-daycare, and clinic-based Speech, Occupational, Physical, and Feeding Therapy services to children across Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas.
*Virtual services may be made available on request. Reach out anytime — we’d love to meet your family.
