More than one language…

As a multicultural society, the question of the benefits or potential drawbacks of raising children with more than one language often is raised. 

Learning more than one language has multiple benefits including links to increased memory, attention, decision making and planning skills. It is also attributed with many social, emotional and economic benefits. 

Exposure is the key to learning languages. When a child is learning more than one language, the number one rule is to keep boundaries clear. This may look like one parent speaking in one language whilst the other parent speaks to the child in the other language. This helps the child store the language information in the correct language box. It could also look like having certain times of day when the second language is spoken. This helps the child to learn to “code switch” from one language to another. 

Book sharing and narrative activities are great for supporting language development. Most libraries have a foreign language section and there are a growing number of local groups within communities dedicated to supporting foreign languages.

When young children are learning multiple languages, it is common that the development in both languages occurs at a slightly slower pace. However if you are noticing any signs of delay in your child’s language development, your child may still have a language delay and it is always worth contacting a Speech Pathologist for advice.