Will speaking English at home hold back my child's first language? - Raise Your Child Bilingual at Home

Short answer: no. Children build two languages at the same time, and the progress can look uneven for a while. That is normal, and it evens out.

I ask this as a mother. I speak English with my daughter at home, and Slovak is the language she hears everywhere else. In your home the pair might be different: German, Polish, Portuguese, something else. The logic is the same.

One language takes care of itself, the other needs you

Researchers talk about a majority language and a minority language. The majority language is the one around your child: on the street, in kindergarten, with friends and grandparents. The minority language is the one your child hears mostly at home, or from one person.

A child picks up the majority language almost on its own, just by being surrounded by it. The minority language does not have that advantage. It only grows if someone brings it. In our home, Slovak is the majority language and English is the one I bring.

So the two languages are not competing for the same job. One takes care of itself. The other one needs you.

What the research says about the gap

The Raine Study, a long-term Australian study, looked at children who heard a strong minority language at home. Around age 5, these children sometimes had a smaller vocabulary in the majority language than their peers. By age 10, that gap was gone, and school results were comparable.

So the gap is real, and it is temporary. You can read the study here: Influences of bilingual input on English vocabulary size and academic outcomes.

Words and concepts

Researchers also separate words from concepts. A word belongs to one language, for example “cat” or “mačka”. A concept is the meaning behind the word, and it is the same in both languages.

If a bilingual child is tested in one language only, they can look behind. When you count concepts across both languages, their development is usually comparable to children who hear one language. The child does not know less. The knowledge is spread across two languages.

What this means at home

Look at the ratio, not just the presence. The question is not whether your child hears a second language. It is how much of each language they hear.
Check the majority language if it is not everywhere. If you live abroad, or another language dominates your home, make sure someone speaks the local language with your child regularly. It will not grow on its own if it is not around.
Stay calm during the temporary phase. A short gap in one language while a child builds two is natural. It becomes a problem when the adults around react with panic, comparison or pressure.

Bilingualism is not only upside. It has temporary costs, and each family should decide what input they want to give and what result they expect from it.

Frequently asked questions

Will my child get confused by two languages?
Children build two languages at once. It can look uneven for a while, but that is not confusion.

Will my child fall behind at school?
In the Raine Study, children with a strong minority language at home had a smaller majority-language vocabulary around age 5. By age 10 the gap was gone and school results were comparable.

Is the gap permanent?
No. In the study it closed by age 10.

What if English is bigger than the local language in our home?
Then the local language needs some deliberate support too. Check who speaks it with your child and how often.