Raising a bilingual child is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give — culturally, socially and cognitively. And one of the greatest things I love about teaching my child another language is knowing it’s a skill that will serve them for the rest of their lives. 

However, as is the reality for most bilingual people, mixing languages can sometimes occur in children. As a parent, you might hear mixed-language sentences, sudden word swaps, or “language-mash” moments and wonder if it’s normal. Well, good news. Because it is.

At least 7.7% of Black children speak a language other than English at home, including Caribbean, African, and English-based creole Gullah languages. Among them are likely many other parents who share your concern. To encourage this amazing skill in your children and ease your mind about language mixing, I created this simple guide with evidence-based answers and practical strategies that you can apply to the everyday reality of your home.

Why Children Mix Languages (And Why It’s Totally Normal)

Mixing languages, sometimes referred to as code switching, is an entirely natural part of bilingual speech. For children who speak more than one language, it’s common to switch between. In fact, I sometimes catch myself doing it as well. Regardless of how your child learns, whether through online language courses or the use of native languages at home, it can be tricky to stick to just one. 

Sometimes, they may not recall the exact word in one language, think a word from the other language is more expressive, or try to adapt your speech to who you’re talking to. Nevertheless, it’s part and parcel of being bilingual. 

To ease your mind even further, linguists and speech-language experts view code-switching as a sign of linguistic resourcefulness and competence. Research even shows that mixing languages is common in bilingual development. Even more importantly, it’s how our children learn to manage two systems.

At other times, language mixing simply reflects which language your child is more dominant in. Most bilingual children tend to be stronger in one language in specific circumstances, such as their home language versus a school language, which is where the confusion often arises. In our family, the language we speak at home is always more dominant.

Regardless of the reason, it’s important to note that mixing languages doesn’t mean your child is behind. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and speech-language professionals, bilingual children reach the same core milestones, such as first words, at similar ages as monolingual peers. So, as their parent, you have nothing to worry about. 

Big-Picture Benefits Of Bilingualism

Raising a bilingual child is an amazing feat, for you and them. However, if you’re concerned about them mixing languages, it’s worth reminding yourself of some of the benefits of teaching them to be bilingual. Here are just a small handful: 

• Cognitive: Multiple studies have found that bilingualism is associated with some advantages in areas such as attentional control, metalinguistic awareness, and problem-solving, on average. Researchers believe this cognitive advantage stems from the brain’s ability to manage two language systems.
• Social and cultural: Being bilingual strengthens your child’s cultural identity, keeping them in tune with their roots. It can also give your child access to a broader range of social and economic opportunities. In education and in the workforce, being bilingual can be a tremendous asset.

Bilingualism and its benefits can look different for every child. And depending on the languages they speak and their life stages, they’ll operate at various levels. Regardless of where they’re at, occasional mixing is all part of becoming flexible with language use. 

What’s Considered Normal Language Mixing?

As a blooming bilingual, your child will likely mix languages a lot. But it’s also natural if you feel a little concerned. Although it’s a common phenomenon among bilinguals, it can help to recognise what’s normal and which signs to look for that may warrant consulting a professional. 

Signs that mixing is not a concern:

• Your child alternates between languages depending on the listener. For example, they speak mostly language A with their grandparents and then language B with their teacher.
• They mix single words that they borrow from the other language. In our house, this could sound like, “I want más juice”.
• They meet their milestones, like first words around 12 months or two-word phrases by around 24 months, when you count their vocabulary across both languages.
  

When you should speak to a professional: 

• Your child misses multiple developmental milestones across both languages (e.g., they’re not using any words at ages when peers typically do).
• Your child’s language use is unclear or doesn’t appear to improve, even with more exposure and learning. 
• You have concerns about their hearing, social engagement, or other behaviors that could signal a developmental issue.
  

If your child is facing challenges, seeking help from a speech professional who understands bilingual speakers is the best approach. They can work with you to discover your child’s full language profile and provide recommendations to ensure they receive the support they need. 

6 Practical And Positive Strategies To Use When Your Child Mixes Languages

There’s nothing wrong with mixing languages, and as parents, we don’t wan to treat this common phenomenon as a negative. Need some strategies to encourage your child to speak more than one language without turning mixing into a “problem”? These have been helpful in our home.

1. Model language, but don’t police it

When your child mixes languages, respond naturally in the language you want to reinforce and model the entire phrase.

Child: “Mummy, where’s mi shoe?”
Parent: “Your shoe is under the couch. Here’s your shoe.”

By doing this, you’re giving them the correct language model without shutting down communication. 

2. Increase their exposure to each language

Your child needs rich and meaningful exposure to both languages through activities such as songs, stories, and conversations. Make a genuine effort to read picture books, narrate your everyday routines, and use language during play to help build their vocabulary in both languages. 

If you notice that they’re weaker in one language, try adding more structured activities. We do things like storytime, video calls with relatives, or language classes to strengthen their skills. 

3. Consider the one person, one language (OPOL) approach for your family 

The OPOL strategy involves one caregiver consistently speaking one language to the child. Although it can reduce uncertainty about language use, it’s not always the most effective strategy for every family. What matters most is consistent use of both languages in real contexts, and as the parent, you’ll know which methods work best for your family.

4. Celebrate both languages

You should avoid framing one language as less important and use a positive attitude when speaking about both. Be sure to praise efforts in both languages, label their bilingualism as a superpower, and connect language learning to family stories and their sense of identity. 

6. Use media intentionally

There’s no shortage of podcasts, songs, cartoons and apps in each language that can help you boost exposure. However, it’s even more important to use this media actively. To do so, make sure you discuss what you’ve just heard or read with your child to ensure they understand it.

3 Quick Scripts For Parents In Everyday Mixing Moments

Sometimes, you need a quick response to support your child when they mix languages. These are some common scenarios where bilingual children might mix, and what you can try saying.

1. Instead of telling them to stop mixing, be positive and then show them how to do it. “That’s a neat way to say it. In English, you could say…, in Spanish you could say…”
   
2. When speaking with younger children, repeat and expand on what they said to help them learn a language. For example, your child says, “Dog run”. You could respond, “Yes! The dog is running fast. The dog is running fast across the yard.”
   
3. For older kids, code-switching is a more convenient approach. So, in response, acknowledge the skill and ask them to clarify. For example, “I love how you can switch between languages like that. Could you say that again in Portuguese so Grandma can understand?”
   

Age-Based Activities To Strengthen Each Language 

All bilingual children are different, so there’s no singular approach that can help with language mixing. Here are a few tips for each age group to help you assist them in a way that suits their language development milestones.

Babies and toddlers (0–3)

• Practice lots of face-to-face talk and naming objects.
  
• Read short board books in both languages with them.
  
• Sing songs and nursery rhymes in the language you want to reinforce.
  

Preschoolers (3–5)

• Play pretend games using vocabulary sets, like shops or doctors.
  
• Read books with them and ask simple questions about the pictures you see.
  
• Insert language into all your routines, including cooking steps and cleaning instructions, to enhance clarity and consistency.

School-age children (6+)

• Have them journal or record audio diaries in their heritage language.
  
• Encourage them to join cultural clubs or weekend classes.
  
• Assign language responsibilities that they can engage in, like calling a relative in the other language once a week.
  

How Schools And Caregivers Can Support Consistency

For bilingual children, it’s not just the efforts at home that will make a difference in their language learning. You should coordinate with their teachers and other caregivers regularly to ensure they’re getting the support they need to improve their language skills. 

As a baseline, you should share your language goals with school staff. If they’re supportive, you can also provide the school and teachers with simple strategies that help support learning in both languages, including visual supports and vocabulary lists.

Some schools offer bilingual programs, so don’t hesitate to ask about what’s available. With a global push towards multilingual education, I’m hopeful that more American schools will offer heritage-language classes, multilingual playgroups, and other educational tools to encourage our brilliant bilingual kids.

A Practical Checklist For The Next 30 Days 

Teaching your child another language requires ongoing effort and consistency, but the rewards are more than worth it. To help strengthen their language skills and reduce instances of language switching, this simple checklist of things can help you over the next month.

1. Track roughly how many minutes per day your child hears each language. If one language is lacking, try to add some predictable blocks where they can get more exposure.
2. Add or increase a routine in their weaker language. For example, reading a 10-minute story three nights a week.
3. Check that you’re speaking positively about bilingualism and the efforts your child is making to learn another language. Talk about heritage, family stories, and benefits to help them feel proud.

Supporting your child to do extraordinary things

Your bilingual child is developing an exceptional skill, so it’s important to support them in any way you can. As they learn how to navigate two systems, remind yourself that this takes incredible brainpower, but also leads to long-term benefits in attention, problem-solving and social and cultural competence. 

As parents, it’s our role to be consistent in language learning, and most importantly, to celebrate all their progress. However, if you’re still concerned about their language abilities, consider reaching out to a professional who can assess both languages together, respecting their unique aspects. 

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