14.4: Multilingualism- Beliefs and Misconceptions

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Todd LaMarr

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Beliefs and Misconceptions

Caregiver beliefs and knowledge about multilingualism affect their caregiving practices, which in turn can impact children’s developmental outcomes. As infant and toddler multilingualism becomes a prominent phenomenon across the U.S. it is critical to examine how caregivers’ beliefs and knowledge regarding multilingualism relates to childrens’ language experiences in group care and childrens’ developmental outcomes over time. ^{^[7]}

One common concern about multilingualism is that early exposure to multiple languages is confusing for children. Research does not support this concern. Young infants can perceive the difference between different languages within the first few days or months of life (Bosch & Sebastián-Gallés, 2001; Byers-Heinlein, Burns & Werker, 2010). Infancy and toddlerhood represent a sensitive period for language acquisition, when the brain is particularly receptive to the properties of language (Kuhl et al., 2005; Werker & Tees, 2005). For this reason, multilingual children exposed to their languages earlier in development become better at them, and will speak and process them in a more native-like manner (Bialystok, 2001; Zhao, Boorom, Kuhl & Gordon, 2021). ^{^[3]}

Another common concern is that childhood multilingualism can cause language disorders and delays. Research does not support this concern. Language disorders and delays occur in multilingual children at the same rates as in monolingual children (Kohnert, Ebert & Pham, 2020; Peña et al., 2011). In fact, many children with various developmental disabilities also grow up multilingual, including children with specific language impairments (Paradis et al., 2011), children with Down Syndrome (Kay-Raining Bird et al., 2005), and children with autism spectrum disorder (Gonzalez‐Barrero & Nadig, 2019). Importantly multilingual children with developmental disabilities should have difficulties across their languages, not just with one language (Kohnert, 2010; Peña, Iglesias & Lidz, 2001; Restrepo & Kruth, 2000). Multilingualism neither causes nor facilitates/aggravates a possible condition of dyslexia or any specific language disorders in general (Crescentini, Marini & Fabbro, 2012). To ensure accurate assessment of the language development of multilingual infants and toddlers, caregivers must assess all of the child’s languages (Nayeb et al., 2021) ^{^[1]} ^{^[3]} ^{^[8]}