Have you ever wondered if being bilingual might cause your child to start talking later than their peers? Do you believe that late talking is normal for children growing up with more than one language? Let’s delve into the research and uncover the truth about late talking in bilingual children, and look at some interesting facts about their vocabulary compositions.
Language Universals: First Words and Vocabulary Milestones
First and formal, I would like to state an important concept - Language Universals.
Regardless of language, certain milestones in language development are universal. Typically developing one-year-olds usually begin to speak their first words around their first birthday. By the age of two, children are expected to have a vocabulary of at least 50 words. This milestone applies whether a child is learning one language or two. For instance, a bilingual child might know 20 words in Mandarin and 30 words in English, totaling 50 words across both languages.
Fun Facts About Vocabulary Composition in Late Talkers
Noun Bias Exists Regardless of Language: Research by Rescorla, Mirak, and Singh (2000) found that among late talkers aged 24-36 months, nouns make up about 62% of their vocabulary. This suggests that children generally learn nouns before verbs and other parts of speech. Interestingly, this noun bias exists across different languages. For example, in Chinese-speaking families, the first 50 words of toddlers predominantly consist of nouns. However, compared to English-speaking families, Chinese-speaking caregivers tend to use more verbs, resulting in Chinese toddlers having more verbs in their vocabulary than their English-speaking counterparts. Interesting hey?
Similar Trends in Korean Language: The same pattern is observed in Korean-speaking families. Although nouns are the majority in the first 50 words, Korean and Chinese-speaking families report a higher number of verbs compared to English-only families. This difference could be attributed to sentence structure; in Korean, verbs are typically placed at the end of sentences, while in English, they are found in the middle.
Focus on Noun Development in Therapy: Research indicates a positive correlation between the rate of vocabulary development and the speed at which children acquire nouns. The optimal period to enhance vocabulary development is between 24-36 months. During this period, targeting everyday items, animal names, food and drinks, vehicles, places, and clothes can significantly boost a child’s vocabulary.
Therefore, when designing therapy for late talkers, it is crucial to focus on specific vocabulary categories to maximise their language development. I often start with -
Everyday Items: Start with words that are part of the child’s daily routine.
Animal Names: Introduce common animals that the child might encounter in books or in their environment.
Food and Drinks: Include names of common foods and beverages.
Vehicles: Teach names of common vehicles like cars, buses, and bikes.
Places: Introduce words for familiar places such as home, park, and school.
Clothes: Include names of clothing items.
Important Considerations
It is important to note that these recommendations are based on analytic language acquisition and apply to late talkers without additional diagnoses such as autism or other neurodiverse conditions. There is other language acquisition pathway called gestalt language processing, which we had mentioned in this previous blog post.
Speak to a speech pathologist
If your two-year-old is not speaking at least 50 words, regardless of how many languages they are exposed to at home, it might be time to seek professional help. Early intervention can make a significant difference in your child’s language development. Don’t let myths about bilingualism delay the support your child might need. Reach out to a speech pathologist today to ensure your child is on the right track to language success.
How are you ensuring your child’s language development is on track? Let’s discuss and share strategies to support our bilingual children in reaching their full potential.
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