Will learning two languages confuse my toddler?

No, learning two languages will not confuse your toddler. Young children's brains are built to handle more than one language, and children all over the world grow up with two or three from birth. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) lists "multilingualism causes language confusion" and "multilingualism causes language delays" among the common myths about multilingual children.

Why parents worry, and what is actually happening

Bilingual toddlers can look different from single-language toddlers in ways that are completely normal:

• Mixing languages. Your child may use a word from one language in a sentence in the other ("I want más juice"). This is called code-switching. Bilingual adults do it too. It usually means your child is using every word they know to get the message across.
• Fewer words in each language. A bilingual toddler's words are split across two languages, so each language on its own can look smaller. Count them together.
• One stronger language. Most bilingual children prefer the language they hear most. That balance can shift as their surroundings change, for example when they start nursery or school.
• A quiet period. Children who meet a new language at nursery may listen for weeks or months before speaking it.

When to get advice

Being bilingual does not cause speech or language disorders, but bilingual children can have them, just like any child. Research in ASHA's journal has found bilingual children are both over- and under-identified with language disorders, partly because of assumptions that bilingualism causes delay (Peña et al., 2023). So do not wait it out because of the second language. The CDC's developmental milestones say most children try to say three or more words besides "mama" or "dada" by 18 months, and put at least two words together, like "more milk", by age 2. Count words in both languages when you check. Speak to your pediatrician, health visitor or a speech-language therapist if:

• Your child is behind these milestones with both languages counted together
• Your child loses words or skills they used to have
• You are worried, whatever the reason

Ask for an assessment that considers both languages. A test in only one language can make a bilingual child look behind when they are not.

How to support a bilingual toddler

1. Speak the language you are most fluent and comfortable in. Rich, natural talk matters more than which language it is. See Should I speak my native language to my child?
2. Be consistent enough that each language gets plenty of use. Does one parent, one language work? covers the options.
3. Read, sing and play in both languages. Toddlers learn language best from people who respond to them.
4. Do not correct mixing. Repeat back the sentence in the right language, warmly: "You want more juice? Here's more juice."

Is there a role for apps at this age?

For toddlers, people come first: talking, reading and playing together. Askie is designed for ages 4 to 15, so it becomes an option once your child is a little older and ready for short spoken conversations in the language they are learning, with every conversation visible to you.