Will my child mix up two languages?

What the research says

• A review by Krista Byers-Heinlein and Casey Lew-Williams (2013) reports that bilingual children are no more likely than monolingual children to have difficulties with language.
• From very early on, children tell their two languages apart and show no sign of confusion.
• Mixing words from both languages is a normal part of bilingual development, and it usually follows patterns rather than being random. Bilingual adults mix too.
• Bilingual children may know fewer words in each language, but counted across both languages they know about as many words as monolingual children.

Learning English as an extra language is lighter still

• If your child hears English for a short time each day and your home language the rest of the time, they are learning an additional language. That is much lighter than growing up in a fully bilingual home.
• Your home language stays the language of family, feelings and thinking, so the risk of "losing" it is very low.

Why children mix words

• They only know the word in one language: they learned "apple" in a game but rarely hear it at home.
• The word is easier or more fun to say, and they feel proud using it.
• They hear adults around them mixing, and copy.

How to respond

• Do not criticise or make your child say it again. They are using every word they know to communicate, which is a good thing.
• Echo it naturally in both languages: say the word in your home language, then "apple", and carry on.
• During English time, repeat the full English sentence: "You want an apple. Here you are."

Keeping both languages strong

• You do not need "one parent, one language". The review above found it is neither necessary nor sufficient. What matters is enough good-quality exposure through real interaction.
• Tie English to regular moments: a picture book at bedtime, 10 minutes of a game after dinner, songs at bath time. Your child learns when it is "English time".
• Keep reading, telling stories and talking in your home language every day. Strong concepts in one language make it easy to add the English names.

When to ask a specialist

Learning two languages does not cause speech delay. So if your child is late to talk in the home language too, uses little eye contact or gesture, or you are worried about their development, do not put it down to English: talk to your paediatrician or a speech and language therapist.

See also what age to start English and why a child understands but will not speak.

Sources

1. Byers-Heinlein, K., Lew-Williams, C. (2013). Bilingualism in the early years: what the science says. LEARNing Landscapes, 7(1)