This is an opinion piece about some of the most common myths around bilingual reading and education. The opinions expressed in this post are a reflection of the author’s personal and professional experience and beliefs.

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At The Little Bookstore we want to advocate for bilingual reading and biliteracy, and we are aware of the resistance that might come from limiting beliefs, and general misconceptions about raising bilingual children.

We want to help you dispel some of the most common myths we’ve come across and encourage you to think about how the many benefits of raising bilingual children do outweigh any perceived negatives.

Let’s jump right into the topic with a big one!

Myth 1:

Teaching my child two languages at the same time will create confusion, put him or her at risk of developmental delays, and/or aggravate a diagnosed language disorder.

Reality:

The reality is, there’s no evidence to suggest that a child cannot learn two (or more) languages simultaneously and be able to communicate effectively.

What might seem like “confusion” to some, including parents and monolingual teachers, is just part of the process for an emergent bilingual child; the process of figuring out the language structures of each language by putting them to the test. As they learn and practice they will use all the linguistic tools they have to make new connections and gain comprehension.

The fear of “developmental delays” might be a product of a lack of understanding about the particular experience of an emergent bilingual child.

The key task of parents and teachers is to provide effective and consistent modeling of language structures, so the child starts to understand the specific rules that form the foundation of each language.

Diagnosed language disorders are a serious matter and should be addressed by a professional Speech Language Pathologist.

You should talk to the specialist working with your child and your family. In that first conversation you should let her know all the languages or dialects spoken at home. This way the specialist will have a clearer picture of all the linguistic influences in the child’s environment.

As with Myth #3, or the academic impact of bilingualism, which will be discussed below, a second language has proven to be a source for children to access and work with additional vocabulary and cognitive strategies, which in turn help with phonological awareness, syntactic awareness, word recognition and reading comprehension.

For this though, we must provide a language rich environment and plenty of opportunities to practice and experience spoken language and print.

“Spanglish” might be seen as a result of this confusion, but I believe is a phase in the continuum of language learning (for both emergent and sequential bilinguals.) The goal should be to develop the understanding and use of each language, separately, while taking into consideration the unavoidable idioms, words and phrases that have become part of Spanish due to the influence of technological advances, fashion and pop culture.

So, one benefit of teaching two languages simultaneously is the fact that it provides a deeper and richer linguistic repertoire from which the child may pull from to develop foundational skills for spoken and written language.

Myth 2:

As monolingual parents, we cannot raise bilingual children.

Reality:

At some point in the past this might have been true, but as of today, at The Little Bookstore, we’re happy to be part of the many resources that exist and aim to provide support, scaffolding and motivation to monolingual parents who see the importance of acquiring a second language.

The journey into raising bilingual children becomes an adventure for the whole family!

Here at The Little Bookstore we are doing our part with books, reading guides, mini lessons, and providing other resources to support bilingual reading and biliteracy.

Our friends at Llamitas Spanish, for their part, are developing Spanish curricula that’s high-quality, beautiful, engaging, and authentic. Their programs allow parents to take language learning at home to the next level.

Here in our local Katy, TX area we have a few wonderful Preschools that offer Spanish Immersion programs, planting the seeds of a second language, and Elementary Schools committed to keep their bilingual or dual language classrooms going. Look for this kind of school and programs in your district! And be the voice that brings this need to your school board.

Okay, maybe raising a bilingual child as monolingual parents will be a little more challenging, maybe you don’t feel able to do it alone, but you don’t have to. Let us help, we can do it together!

So, one benefit of raising a bilingual child as a monolingual parent, is that your whole family will be exposed to the second language, you can all learn together, and be each other’s support system.

In the quest to provide your child with opportunities to become bilingual, you will learn new words and phrases, and widen your cultural awareness.

Myth 3:

Bilingual children will have academic problems once they start school.

Reality:

The reality is that the academic challenges that a child might face once they enter school, and move up grade levels, are not directly related to bilingualism.

Academic problems may be the result of a variety of compounding factors, including undiagnosed developmental or cognitive conditions, sensory processing disorders, and the learning environment a child is exposed to during the first years of life, among many others.

During the first years of formal schooling, the problem might also lie in the type of formal and informal assessments done by monolingual teachers, and the schools in general.

Mislabeling or misjudgments when assessing the academic performance of emergent or sequential bilingual students would be reduced by greater awareness of their particular profiles as language learners.

A great source of information and new perspectives for teachers and supporting school staff is the research and professional development programs by Literacy Squared, and their book “Biliteracy from the Start.”

The fact is that bilingual children show superior problem-solving skills and increased cognitive flexibility. They have more linguistic resources at their disposal, to communicate ideas and emotions through expressive language, and make connections between words and their meaning in the text.

So, one benefit of entering school with the tool of a developing second language is that with the right modeling, and experiences (Literacy and Oracy) they can develop a wider, richer source of previous knowledge, to aid with reading comprehension and context, to produce spoken or written language, and develop metalinguistic skills.

Myth 4:

If children do not learn a second language when they are very young, they will never be fluent.

Reality:

The reality is that we might be equating fluency with native proficiency or even with a lack of a foreign accent. In fact, fluency is about flow. It’s defined as the ability to easily string words together into coherent thoughts.

Yes, as bilingual reading and biliteracy advocates, we see the value of exposing children to a second language and engaging them from the start, and we want to encourage parents to make it part of their child’s life.

We should also note that in our schools, our classrooms we could have a mix of emergent or sequential bilingual children, and we should have specific goals and assessments for both.

As defined by Lecto-Escritura al Cuadrado, Emerging or emergent bilinguals are children whose native language is not English, yet they have been exposed to English from an early age (or before six years of age.)

Simultaneous emerging bilingual children are developing two languages at the same time from the start. According to Literacy Squared this term “applies to an increasing number of emergent bilingual children.” (p.4)

Sequential bilinguals are those of us who were exposed to a second language after the age of six, and maybe even much later than that.

As with any other skills, early exposure is best, however, as humans we are constantly learning and growing. We should all be learning something new every day, even as adults, including another language!

If your child is older (7 years and beyond!), instead of backing down or shying away from a second language you should push through. Exposure, practice, and new challenges are the key ingredients for all language learners.

So, the benefit of your child learning a second language at an older age is that you can have a deeper conversation about the value a second language provides.

You may talk about the many ways a second language will all value to your life, when doing research for school, playing games, at a future job or career. And how it would allow you to connect with family and friends, near and far.

Myth 5:

If a child is not equally fluent in both languages, he or she is not truly bilingual.

Reality:

The reality is that language learning is a process, a continuum, and bilingualism works the same way.

The dominant language of someone exposed to more than one language can change over time. Regular use and practice are key to sustaining, developing, and strengthening mastery of any skill, including spoken and written language.

What we want to avoid is the loss of a second language or the loss of an opportunity to acquire one. The poignant words in the opening chapter of Bilingual from the Start come to mind:

The roots of the term education imply drawing out children’s potential, making them more than they were; however, when children come to school fluent in their primary language, and they leave school essentially monolingual… then our schools have negated the meaning of the term education, because they have made children less than they were.

Mary Ashworth, as cited in Cummins, 1989

For older children and for adults, the positive and empowering thing is to reframe our beliefs and expectations.

I’ve personally loved French since I first got exposed to the language at sixteen. I’ve enjoyed learning French ever since. I can read the language, I can understand (when someone is speaking slowly), I can say basic phrases, request basic information, but I don’t consider myself fluent.

I do consider myself lucky, because I get to learn French, and as I do, I exercise my mind, keep my brain working on a new challenge. When I make connections between French, English and Spanish, I go “Voilà!“, and from afar I get to experience the culture, the history, the people (though, unfortunately, not the buttery croissants or the delicious eclairs… but I digress.)

Let’s not take the joy of discovery, those Aha! moments away from a child. Don’t take it away from you as a parent/adult.

Let’s put aside the words “you’re not truly bilingual”, and the negative connotation, the shame, and use the opportunity to remind our children, students, and ourselves to focus on progress, not perfection.

Let’s celebrate the effort to want to understand and connect with others through language.

Let’s focus on the bigger picture!