Help your child learn to communicate

We know communication involves much more than saying the right words. Research published this year suggests growing up bilingual provides opportunities for children to develop communication skills beyond learning words.^[1] 

There is considerable research about how children learn to communicate when they grow up learning more than one language. 

While many years ago people thought it best to focus on one language until children were confident speakers, now there is evidence of ‘bilingual advantage’ in several aspects of development.^[1] 

What was this research investigating?  

In this article, we’re focusing on a study that asked if children’s language experience influenced their use of contextual information. The children (who were 3 or 4 years old) were working out if the person giving them information is likely to be correct or not.  

What did the research find? 

The researchers found that children who had regular exposure to what they describe as ‘diverse linguistic environments’^[1] were more likely to consider the circumstances leading to someone giving them correct or inaccurate information.  

This means that children in this study who regularly spent time with people speaking different languages were more able to consider the context in which information was given.   

The researchers did not investigate why this might be and suggest that future research might support this understanding.  

What does this mean for me and my child?  

If among your friends and family you speak multiple languages, don’t feel you need to only speak one when your child is with you.  

Research into bilingual learners shows us the benefits of speaking more than one language, but it also shows the importance of social learning and understanding others in developing communication.^[1] 

Children who experience more than one language regularly will need to think about the different words they hear to describe the same thing. They will have to decide, thinking about who they’re talking to, which language is best to use to reply.  

If you don’t speak multiple languages, you don’t need to become fluent in a second language to support your child’s communication.

Whether your child is learning to speak one language, two, three or more these tips can help you support their learning.  

Talk about what you or others are thinking 

Understanding what other people know (or don’t know) is an important part of communication, so describing your thoughts or those of characters in stories or games can help.  

Involve your child in conversations 

Listening to you chatting with other adults will help your child learn about how people have a conversation.  

Chat about what you’re doing and the things that interest your child 

Have lots of conversations with your child, whatever their age – chat with them about what you’re doing, the things you know they’re interested in, and really anything else that you or they enjoy talking about.  

For activity ideas linked to the skills your child is developing now don’t forget to look at your activities screen.  

References: 

[1] Quin Yow, W. & Li, X (2023).   Role of bilingual experience in children's context-sensitive selective trust strategies, Bilingualism: Language and Cognition. First view DOI: 10.1017/S1366728923000433