All children — who are not facing cognitive disabilities — go through similar stages of language development. And here I’m referring not only to the mother tongue but also to the learning of two languages at the same time. When a child is exposed to more than one language in early childhood with adequate quality and quantity of interactions, the language acquisition stages are the same. Some children may acquire their first words earlier than others; these individual differences do not signify a delay in language development and can also be seen in bilingual children.
Therefore, I affirm that learning two languages simultaneously not only does not confuse the child but also provides a rich cognitive experience. When we think of the languages taught at our school, that is, English and Portuguese — languages with very different structures — this becomes even more evident, as the child will have to work to organize the linguistic structure of each. Now, you might ask me, “Is it normal for the child to use a bit of one language and a bit of the other when communicating?” Well, if we think about the fact that the little ones are still in the early stages of language formation and acquisition, it is absolutely natural for the child to mix the languages. After all, they are using tools that help them compensate for what they don’t yet know in each language. Naturally, as they gain more knowledge, it will no longer be necessary to rely on one language when speaking the other. Thus, it becomes clear that mixing languages does not mean the child is confused.
Ligia Botelho – Pedagogical Director
