Click the following link to watch our YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq-Pmhou_KU&t=6s.
Script Below:
Hello and welcome back curious parents!
Learning a language is such a BIG job, it’s a wonder that any of us learn just one of ‘em. But what about 2 or even 3 languages?!
Many parents who use a mix of languages at home worry that this somehow messes with their little one’s language growth over time.
Today in the HELLO Lab, we explore a key question – Is learning multiple languages “confusing” your kid? Let’s get the scoop.
You might be surprised to know that speaking more than one language is not uncommon at all – in fact, about half of the world population speaks at least two languages, but this is a bit of an educated guess. (Byers-Heinlein, Esposito, Winsler, Marian, Castro, Luk, Brown, & DeJesus, 2019; Grosjean, 2024)
Kids grow up in multi-language households all over the world, including in the U.S. (Dietrich & Hernandez, 2022; Kohnert & Medina, 2009).
In the (not so distant) past, learning more than one language in early childhood had a… well, not-so-great reputation. Why? Early researchers thought that kids who were using 2 languages weren’t performing well on standardized tests of intelligence compared to kids who just used one language. (Bialystok, Hawrylewicz, Grundy, & Chung-Fat-Yim, 2022; Hakuta, 1986*).
These kids seemed to struggle to speak, use language, and were “behind” cognitively. CUE THE AIR QUOTES! (Paradis, 2022*).
But in 1962, a study reported just the opposite results, showing kids who were bilingual doing BETTER than single language kids. (Peal & Lambert, 1962*). This new finding changed the game regarding the way we think about childhood multilingualism. (Bialystok, Craik, & M, 2022).
Since then, many studies show that multilingualism might have some really cool perks for kids, including sharper attention, memory skills, and more flexible problem solving abilities (Bialystok, 2006).
One study even found that bilingual babies as young as 6 months did better than their monolingual peers on a memory task. (Brito & Barr, 2014). But don’t get too excited just yet. It’s hard to say for sure what might account for differences between bilingual and monolingual kids, and bilinguals don’t always have a leg up across experiments…
For instance, one area that is still being explored is vocabulary. Keep in mind that there are many different kinds of vocabulary we can measure, such as what words a kid understands versus what they say out loud (Byers-Heinlein, Gonzalez-Barrero, Schott, & Killam, 2024).
Well, some research shows that bilingual kids might have a smaller vocabulary in a single language than their monolingual friends BUT when looking at both of the languages they’re learning at the same time, the difference more-or-less “evens out”… (Armstrong, Angwin, Whitehouse, & Escudero, 2025; Byers-Heinlein, Gonzalez-Barrero, Schott, & Killam, 2024; Hoff, Core, Place, Rumiche, Señor, & Parra, 2012). And a very recent study suggests that even when comparing one language for bilinguals and monolinguals, the differences in vocab fade with time (Armstrong, Angwin, Whitehouse, & Escudero, 2025). But there’s still a ton we need to learn about this before jumping to conclusions.
Whether small differences in vocab exist or not, kids learning two languages tend to hit big language milestones (like saying their first words) at the same age as kids learning just one (Muszyńska, Krajewski, Dynak, Garmann, Romøren, H., Łuniewska, Alcock, Katsos, Kołak, Simonsen, Hansen, Krysztofiak, Sobota, & Haman, 2025). There’s also NO evidence that being bilingual directly causes communication or language-based disorders. (ASHA, n.d; Kohnert & Medina, 2009).
So if you’re currently raising a bilingual kid… you can breathe a nice sigh of relief. Phew!
Time for some myth busting. Despite everything we know, many people still believe that learning two languages at the same time can somehow be harmful for overall language outcomes, though the data show that this myth may be fading in popularity. (Wagner, Awani, Patson, & Stanhope, 2023).
The science around this stuff is pretty clear – so-called “language confusion” is NOT a thing. (Guiberson, 2013).
But let’s be clear. What’s plain wrong here is the idea that learning another language delays language development or permanently confuses a kid.
This doesn’t mean that bilingual kids never “mix up” languages or confuse a word for another from time to time.
If you’re a parent with a bilingual kiddo at home, you probably have plenty of funny stories of your little one doing just that. This isn’t a sign that something is wrong!
In fact, kids are pretty great at distinguishing between languages (Byers-Heinlein, Jardak, Fourakis, & Lew-Williams, 2022). What might sometimes look like confusion – like switching between languages from sentence to sentence – is likely just a kid getting the most out of both languages (Byers-Heinlein, Jardak, Fourakis, & Lew-Williams, 2022).
How? Compared to adults, young kids are absolute sponges when it comes to language. (Hartshone, Tenenbaum, & Pinker, 2018; Kuhl, Conboy, Padden, Nelson, & Pruitt, 2005). Trust us, there’s plenty of room in those adorable brains.
Kids can learn tons of different words for the same thing without getting confused if they are in different languages. (Byers-Heinlein & Lew-Williams, 2013; Bialystok & Craik, 2022).
We don’t need scientific data to tell us that babies who are in single-language households learn different words for the same thing too, like learning that their “doggie” is also called “Captain Paws.”
Depending on a ton of different factors, a little bit of language mixing might sometimes make learning words a bit harder or easier for kids. (Armstrong, Angwin, Whitehouse, & Escudero, 2025; Byers-Heinlein, Jardak, Fourakis, & Lew-Williams, 2022; Byers-Heinlein, Kircher, & Lew-Williams, 2025). Learning a language is hard work, and it’s not just about WHAT words you’re learning but HOW you’re learning them that influences this process. (Byers-Heinlein, Kircher, & Lew-Williams, 2025).
Remember, the bottom line is that, with time and strong language support from their parents, both monolingual and bilingual kids reach their language milestones at the same time. (Armstrong, Angwin, Whitehouse, & Escudero, 2025; Byers-Heinlein, Gonzalez-Barrero, Schott, & Killam, 2024); Muszyńska, Krajewski, Dynak, Garmann, Romøren, H., Łuniewska, Alcock, Katsos, Kołak, Simonsen, Hansen, Krysztofiak, Sobota, & Haman, 2025).
Well, there you have it. Don’t let longstanding language myths fool you.
If you’re speaking English, Spanish, Mandarin, Elvish, or Dothraki, your kid won’t be delayed, or confused. They’re not just ready for this – their brains are literally wired for it. And if you’re regularly mixing up languages at home with your little one, you might even be giving their brain an extra boost in surprising ways.
Until next time! ¡Hasta la próxima! Jusqu’à la prochaine fois!
*END CARD AUDIO & CTA*!
Don’t just take our word for it, check out our “Evidence Library” on our website to learn all about the research that helped us make this episode! Link in description.
Hey! Not so fast! The question I asked at the start of the video still stands: what languages do YOU speak with your little one in the home? Leave us a comment or tag us on social media to let us know! We love seeing what you guys come up with.
Stay tuned for our next episode about language milestones and first words!
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