Language acquisition is an everyday and yet magical feat of childhood. Within three to five years, virtually all children become fully competent in at least one language. Even more remarkable are those children who simultaneously acquire proficiency in two, or more, languages during the preschool years. Within the same time frame as it takes monolingual children to learn one language, bilingual children learn two languages and become adept at using them in socially diverse and appropriate ways depending on the amount of exposure they get to each language.

Source: C.A. Nelson (2000). Credit: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University

Is it OK to learn two languages?

A common concern, especially for bilingual parents, is that their child is not learning fast enough. Studies show that bilingual babies show an equally strong brain response to English sounds as the monolingual babies. This suggests that bilingual babies were learning English at the same rate as the monolingual babies. Parents of bilingual children also worry that their children will not know as many words as children who are raised with one language. Bilingual infants split their time between two languages, and thus, on average, hear fewer words in each. However, studies consistently show that bilingual children do not lag behind when both languages are considered. Vocabulary sizes of bilingual children, when combined across both languages, have been found to be equal to or greater than those of monolingual children. Another common concern is that bilingualism causes confusion. Part of this concern arises due to "code switching", a speaking behavior in which bilinguals combine both languages. Research shows bilingual children code-switch because bilingual adults around them do too. Code-switching in bilingual adults and children is rule-governed, not haphazard.

BilingualKids are at an advantage

The good news is young children all around the world can and do acquire two languages simultaneously. In fact, in many parts of the world, being bilingual is the norm rather than an exception. It is now understood that the constant need to shift attention between languages leads to several cognitive advantages. Research has found that bilingual adults and children show an improved executive functioning of the brain, that is, they are able to shift attention, switch between tasks and solve problems more easily, increased metalinguistic skills (the ability to think about language per se and understand how it works), makes the learning of a third language easier. Further, the accumulating effect of dual language experience is thought to translate into protective effects against cognitive decline with aging and the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Children soak in information from the stimuli around them, don’t miss the opportunity while their brain still absorbs the world around them like a sponge. If you want your child to know more than one language, it’s best to start at an early age, it won’t confuse your child, and it could even give them a boost in other forms of cognition.

Source: World Economic Forum. Written by Ferjan Ramirez, Research Scientist, University of Washington.