Bilingual children may say their first words slightly later than monolingual children, but still within the normal age range (between 8-15 months) (11). And when bilingual children start to produce short sentences, they develop grammar along the same patterns and timelines as children learning one language (5).
Learning two languages in childhood does not cause confusion or language delay. The idea that two languages causes language delays in children has been a long-standing myth in the United States. However, research has dispelled this myth.
FAQ: At What Age Do Bilingual Babies Talk? Like monolingual babies, typically developing bilingual babies will babble around 6 months, say their first words around 12 months, have a minimum of 15 words in their vocabulary by 18 months, and combine words together around 24 months.
Late bilingualism – refers to bilingualism when the second language is learned after the age of 6 or 7; especially when it is learned in adolescence or adulthood.
There is also some mixed information out there, between experts, about the effect of bilingualism on the development of language. The truth is, that bilingualism has no negative effects on speech and language development, but can enhance and strengthen these skills and this area of the brain significantly.
Bilingual children may say their first words slightly later than monolingual children, but still within the normal age range (between 8-15 months) (11). And when bilingual children start to produce short sentences, they develop grammar along the same patterns and timelines as children learning one language (5).
Speech delay occurs most often in those with an athetoid type of cerebral palsy. The following factors, alone or in combination, may account for the speech delay: hearing loss, incoordination or spasticity of the muscles of the tongue, coexisting mental retardation or a defect in the cerebral cortex.
Some children raised bilingual do take a little longer to start talking than those raised in monolingual households. The delay is temporary, however, and according to experts, it's not a general rule.
During the third year, a bilingual child is expected to use three-word phrases and have a vocabulary of approximately 1,000 words (between all languages). The bilingual child should also be understood approximately 75-100% of the time.
The “Critical Period of Language Development”
Studies show that children can be bilingual from birth. According to the Critical Period Hypothesis, the window of opportunity, or the critical period for children to become proficient in a language is between birth and five years old.
There is a wide range of language abilities in toddlers, and 2-year-olds' normal range is from 75-225 words. Children who are late talkers usually have an average vocabulary of 25 words.
Why Is My Very Active Toddler Not Talking? A toddler may be active and their physical development may on track, but their speech is behind. Sometimes, this is because they find that they can communicate just fine with movements and gestures.
While speech delays are very common among children with autism, they are common in children without autism as well.
everyone in the community gets a better appreciation of different languages and cultures. children can more easily travel and work in different countries and cultures when they grow up. children understand and appreciate different cultures. children have increased empathy for other ways of understanding the world.
Bilingual children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have a hard time learning both of their languages. As with monolinguals, children with DLD have most trouble with grammar. Also, vocabulary learning, understanding directions and concepts, and storytelling are hard.
Some 3 year olds speak very clearly, while others still use some 'baby talk'. Your child may stumble over some words, but this will probably clear up by itself. Your 3 year old can understand 1000 or more words. They can understand 'place' words – under, on, beside, back, over.
By age 3, a toddler's vocabulary usually is more than 200 words. Kids can string together 2- or 3-word sentences. They can talk with you in a conversation that has at least 2 back-and-forth exchanges.
The Disadvantages:
Children enjoying a bilingual environment run the risk of being isolated by the host society or of being teased by their peers when speaking in the foreign language. This teasing can have a detrimental effect on the self-esteem of the child.
Many kids with speech delays have oral–motor problems. These happen when there's a problem in the areas of the brain responsible for speech. This makes it hard to coordinate the lips, tongue, and jaw to make speech sounds. These kids also might have other oral-motor problems, such as feeding problems.
According to scientific studies, bilingual children are better able to focus, plan, prioritize and make decisions. As children get older they tend to score higher on cognitive tests and possess more effective communication skills. Many studies have also found that bilingualism can also help prevent dementia in old age.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), late talkers are toddlers (18 to 30 months old) who have a limited vocabulary for their age, but do not have any other developmental delays. Some late talkers may talk by three to five years of age. These toddlers are called late bloomers.
In general, there is no need to worry if your toddler isn't talking and seems "behind"—even if they are at the older end of that range. Of course, if your child is 19 months and still not talking, you may be concerned, but this too can be normal. It takes some children longer to master speech than others.
A 2 year old not talking is a reason to seek advice from a speech pathologist or a health professional. There is a lot of variation and reason for delayed toddler talking, however, if they are saying NO words at 2, it is a definite red flag for them being at risk of development and learning delays.