Does growing up bilingual delay speech?

Short answer: according to professional bodies in speech and language development, growing up with two languages does not on its own cause speech delay or a language disorder. Bilingual children generally reach basic milestones such as first words at similar ages to children who speak one language. If you have any concern about your child's development, the right step is to talk to your paediatrician or a speech and language therapist.

This article is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical or clinical assessment.

Common situations that are considered normal

Mixing languages. Using Turkish and English words in the same sentence is common in bilingual children. This alone is not a sign of a language disorder; multilingual people may switch languages in different situations.

Vocabulary split across two languages. Your child may know some words in Turkish and others in English. Their vocabulary in one language may look smaller than a monolingual peer's; counted across both languages, the picture is different.

A silent period. Some children entering a new language environment listen for a while before speaking that language. Silence alone does not tell you how much they understand. Do not wait to seek an assessment if you are concerned about communication or hearing.

A change in the dominant language. Once school starts, the community language grows stronger and Turkish may take a back seat. This may reflect where each language is used; on its own it neither proves nor rules out a delay.

When should you talk to a specialist?

Do not attribute these signs to bilingualism alone; discuss them with a paediatrician or speech and language therapist: - Your child is clearly behind peers in both languages. - They lose words or skills they used before. - They struggle to understand what is said to them in both languages. - You have any concern about their hearing. In an assessment, it's important that both of your child's languages are considered together.

"Should we drop one language?"

Some families consider dropping Turkish out of worry about delay. Professional bodies do not generally recommend dropping the home language, even for children with speech and language difficulties. Turkish is often the language of your child's connection with grandparents, relatives and family history. It's best to decide together with a specialist, based on your child's situation.

Supporting both languages at home

• Create natural moments for each language: reading, play, family video calls.
• When your child mixes, don't correct; repeat the right form in your own sentence.
• Keep Turkish a connection rather than a chore: My child doesn't want to speak Turkish.
• If only one parent speaks Turkish at home: When only one parent speaks Turkish.

Sources

• ASHA family information: Learning More Than One Language.
• Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT): Bilingualism.

For other questions, visit our Parent Decision Centre.