Do you think you should wait until a baby is speaking 1 language to introduce

[Welcome to Holland]

another? I ask because I didn't. I have always spoken an equal amount of both languages to my children. And I have a non-verbal 12 year old. I don't blame this on myself entirely, as he is autistic, but I do wonder if perhaps he could have learned some language if I hadn't bombarded him with 2 languages at once? My son responds equally well to both languages now.

Our neighbours send their older kids to Chinese school (being Chinese), but let their younger ones not learn any Chinese until they speak English fluently. We also have neighbours (also Chinese coincidentally) who speak both, and their kids are a similar age. Their kids' English is less good.

Are you supposed to wait until a child speaks one language before introducing another?

 

[ms manners]

My kids learned two languages growing up, and do not have verbal difficulties. So have my two grandsons.

There were times with my daughter that I think she may have been slow in switching gears, but as an adult she is fluent in both languages, as is my oldest grandson (the other one is only two years old, so not fluent in any language yet.)

So I don't think introducing two languages at the same time is an issue.

 

[DeliCinq]

I think most studies on child development and language conclude that although it might seem confusing and complex at first, children in bilingual environments do better if they are introduced to both languages at the same time. The younger the child, the better chances he or she has to become fully bilingual in the future.

Our children have been hearing at least two languages on a regular basis since infancy, and it did take them longer to form sentences if compared to children growing up in a monolingual home, however, once they were ready to communicate as "big kids" they did pretty good. All of our children (minus the babies) speak English and Spanish fluently, and are learning to read and write in both. Our three older also have a good command of French, but my husband has not been as consistent on teaching the children his native language as I have been about mine.

My aunt didn't teach my cousins Spanish from birth. She communicated in English only and later sent them to private Spanish classes, and while they can speak a little and understand a little, they are not bilingual.

I think you did a good thing. Even if your oldest son is non verbal, being exposed to more than one language helps children develop other cognitive areas of the brain and strengthens their natural creativity, plus it strengthens a sense of identity and family bonds. Based in our experience, the early bilingual parents introduce a child to a second language, the easier it will be for them on the long run.

About the Chinese children whose English isn't as good as his Chinese. I think that is the result of living in a community where the minority language (Chinese) has a very strong presence in the dominant community (of English speakers). I believe you live in Vancouver, where Chinese-Canadians have a lot of opportunities and people to communicate in Cantonese and not in English without having a big impact in their lives. Same happens to my nieces who lived in L.A. Their Spanish is superb but their English needed some work because, living surrounded by many Native Spanish speakers, they did not have to work on their English as often as other monolingual children.

 

[.hor.]

Not at all.

Our kids are raised to be American-English fluent, Australian-English fluent (I swear they're different...my husband talks like a freak), and ASL fluent from the beginning. We've also been learning Russian (and a plethora of other languages, but this is the one in which we strive for fluency) with them since the first one's arrival, since that's what he understood. Your son not being vocal is just by chance.

 

[Shaded]

I don't know if there's a right answer, it just depends on the parents. As long as you're teaching both languages well, I don't see a reason not to start early, especially since kids learn much better younger. I leaned two languages when I was a kid, and mine do the same when they go to their spanish grandparents who know english but prefer spanish. I honestly think there's no harm to it as long as both are taught correctly.

 

[Superguy1221]

Not really. I know lots of kids who's parents tried to raise them on English and French, now they can barely write in either.

 

[Terminator]

that depends on how well the child does with the first language and when your comfortable, If a child can speak one language fluently and translate it then I dont see a problem starting them on another.

to be honest I think it's all about timeing, if a child can learn the first language easily, then starting them on another should be find too depending on their age. But if he is struggling with one language then you might have to let them get used to the first one before you even introduce another.

To answer simply: Its all about timeing, and how well they can handle one language. if they sturggle with the first let them get a grip on that before you start another.