What is Normal in Bilingual Language Development?

Written By Kaiting Tu Bronson
speech therapist providing in home therapy playing hide and seek in leander texas

Bilingualism does not cause speech delays.

If you are raising a child with two or more languages, please give yourself credit for immense effort you are making to give the beautiful gift of bilingualism to your child. Please do not stop!

It can be incredibly confusing to figure out if your child’s speech development is exactly where it needs to be or if they are experiencing a true delay. When you are feeling anxious, it is easy to wonder if you should drop one language and stick only to English. However, scientific research shows that Bilingualism does not cause or worsen speech delays.

Here are a few key factors to consider that I hope will give you a little insight into what is typical development:

Factors to Consider: Typical Development vs. Delay

Typical Bilingual Development

  • Going through a "silent period" when exposed to a brand-new language (listening more than talking for a few weeks or months).

  • Codeswitching: Mixing languages is normal. If a child says, "Look at the big perro!" they are not confused. They are simply using their entire available vocabulary to build a complete sentence.

  • Mixing grammar rules from both languages.

Signs of a Possible Speech or Language Delay

  • Does not respond to their name or simple gestures (like pointing) by 12 months.

  • Has fewer than 10-20 words/signs in any language by 18 months.

  • Does not use spontaneous two-word phrases by age two.

  • Struggles significantly to understand instructions in both home languages.

  • Is very difficult for close family members to understand by age three.

Keep Going—You Are an Amazing Parent!

Nurturing two or more languages takes time, patience, and lots of repetition, and I applaud you for giving this beautiful gift for your child! I know how much difference it has made in my life that my parents gave me this wonderful gift!

I would be honored to partner with you to support communication development and confidence at any stage of life. I provide multilingual speech therapy services in English, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese for children, teens and adults. I can provide speech therapy services in your home in Leander, Cedar Park, or North Austin, or teletherapy in Texas. Please reach out if I could be of service to you.

Kaiting Tu Bronson

Kaiting Tu Bronson, M.S. CCC-SLP, is a multilingual (English, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese) Taiwanese-Chinese American speech therapist. She draws from her experience as a neurodivergent individual and multicultural background to cultivate a supportive environment for learning. Her clinical practice is rooted in empathy and client empowerment, helping individuals embrace their uniqueness, and discover joy in self-expression. She is an ASHA and TSHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist with a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Columbia University.

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