14.5: How Multilingualism is Different

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Todd LaMarr

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Uniqueness of Multilingualism

As the population of young multilingual children continues to increase across the U.S., there has been a corresponding explosion of research about their development. These research findings provide a scientific basis for designing child care program approaches, and assessment procedures. ^{^[7]}

Some features of multilinguals’ language development may look like speech or language delays (Sandhofer & Uchikoshi, 2013). The ongoing challenges of processing more than one language and frequently switching between languages results in a different set of language and cognitive strengths and needs for multilingual children than those of monolingual children (Francis, 2021). Young children who are learning through two languages initially make slower progress in each of their languages than monolingual children (Sandhofer & Uchikoshi, 2013). In addition, they typically have smaller vocabularies in each of their languages than monolingual children, but their total vocabulary size (the sum of what children know in all of their languages) is similar to monolingual children (Core, Hoff, Rumiche & Señor, 2013). Young multilinguals also take longer to recall words from memory and have lower scores on verbal fluency tasks, as their language processing is more complex than that of monolingual children (Petitto et al., 2011). Most often these differences are temporary and disappear as young multilinguals become more proficient in both of their languages (Conboy, 2013). It is important to remember that these early differences in the language development of young multilinguals are just that—differences and not delays! They are a byproduct of the challenges of hearing, processing, and making meaning from multiple language systems during the early childhood years. ^{^[1]}

^{^[1]} Luo et al., (2021). Parental beliefs and knowledge, children’s home language experiences, and school readiness: The dual language perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. CC by 4.0