Stages of Development in Speech and Language for Bilingual Children
From birth, infants begin to learn about the world around them through the use of their senses. Even though babies develop at their own pace, it is important to be aware of what milestones to expect in language acquisition. The milestones for healthy language development in bilingual children are based on what is typical for monolingual children. The following describes how children are typically using language at different stages during the first four years of life.
0 - 3 Months: From birth, infants seem to respond to familiar voices and are startled by loud noises. Parents may notice the sound of their baby’s cry varies depending on what the baby needs. Generally infants are cooing and making vowel sounds at 2 or 3 months.
3 - 6 Months: At this age, new noises will catch a baby’s attention. Around 4 months of age, babies are able to make the sounds of consonants. Babies are usually babbling, putting together vowel and consonant sounds, and stringing together syllables by six months of age. This is the period when words like “mama” and “baba” are beginning to be distinguished.
6 - 12 Months: Infants start to respond to their name. At around nine months the infant is starting to use intonation and
the babbling begins to sound like real words. Between eight and twelve months many infants start using their first words.
For some children the first words do not start until after twelve months. At this age, infants are most likely using shouting
and shrieking sounds to get the attention of others.
12 - 14 Months: A child will busily acquire new vocabulary during this period. Often they will repeat words or sounds heard in conversation, sometimes over and over. By the age of two, many children are putting two and three words together to make simple sentences. As language comprehension increases, toddlers will start to ask their own questions using words like “what” and “where”. Usually children at this age will know to point to their head, their tummy, or other body parts when asked.
24 - 36 Months: Many toddlers will experience an expansive growth in vocabulary at this stage and their speech becomes much clearer. As their vocabulary increases, they are able to use descriptive words like “big” and “little”, as well as words describing their own needs, such as “hungry,” “thirsty,” or “tired.”
3 - 4 Years: At this age children are using full sentences, and have both the vocabulary and grammar to engage in
conversations about their day, or a story. Their words are usually fully comprehensible and understood by others.
Research indicates that children who grow up bilingual begin to speak, on average, later than their monolingual peers do. This does not necessarily mean that children have more difficulty growing up speaking two languages rather than one, only
that the process of learning two languages takes more time to cover more linguistic ground. Some bilingual children do
however begin speaking as early, or even earlier, than the average monolingual child. On the average, by age 2 - 3 years,
bilingual toddlers are very capable of using each language with different people in different contexts.
The acquisition of a second language in toddlers has two major patterns: simultaneous bilingualism, and sequential bilingualism.
- Simultaneous bilingualism occurs when the child acquires two languages at the same time, before the age of three. Children may mix words or part of words from both languages in the first stage. Mixing, or switching back and forth between two languages in a sentence or conversation, is known as “code switching”. This seems to be a normal part of the process of bilingual language acquisition. Stage two occurs at four years and older when distinction between the two languages occurs. After a while, children work out the rules for which language they are supposed to speak to whom, and don’t seem to experience problems differentiating between the two.
- Sequential bilingualism, or successive bilingualism, also takes place before the child is three years old. This happens when
a child has one established language before learning a second language. The child is able to draw on the knowledge and experience of the first language while acquiring the second language.Research suggests learning difficulties occur in bilingual children just the same as they do in children who are monolingual.
Detecting delays in the speech and language of bilingual children can be challenging. Information should be obtained about the child’s entire language system and not just the primary or secondary language.
The following “red flags” are possible indicators that a child who is simultaneously acquiring two languages is experiencing problems with language development:
- No sounds by 2-6 months of age.
- Less than one new word per week for 6 to 15 month-old children
- Less than 20 words (in the 2 languages combined) by 20 months; and
- No use of word combinations and very limited vocabulary by age 2-3 years.
Red flags for abnormal language development in children with sequential acquisition of two languages include:
- Lack of normal milestones in the first language
- Prolonged phases of not talking.
- Difficulty retrieving words.
Bilingualism is a skill to be valued and supported when it is the goal of the toddler’s family. Parents and caretakers can be supportive in a child’s development of bilingual skills by being consistent in how the language is used and by keeping the child interested and motivated to learn.
The end results will be rewarding, as language is strongly tied to culture and has a great influence on how the toddler will experience and understand his world. Knowing two or more languages truly gives children many advantages in life, as well as possible economic advantages in their future