Many children in Dubai are bilingual from birth. In mixed families, they often grow up hearing several languages at once. However, even if parents speak the same language, such as Russian, the environment at school or kindergarten can greatly affect the child's speech development.
Who are bilinguals?
Bilinguals are people who speak several languages and are able to speak them as native speakers.
They use them alternately in their daily lives, without having to mentally translate from one language to another.
What are the developmental stages of bilingual children's speech?
When a child learns to speak two languages at the age of three, at first he can mix them and use them in speech at the same time.
In fact, the child simply does not distinguish between different languages and uses them as one. For example, he can choose words that are shorter and easier to pronounce.
It is only around the age of three that a child begins to separate one language from another.
What is another feature of the speech of bilingual children?
Because of the greater amount of information, such children may speak later. They often have a smaller vocabulary for each language than their peers who speak the same language, but the total vocabulary is larger.
Bilingualism is often present in speech. interference. This is the mutual influence of two languages on each other, which can be expressed grammatically (for example, if a child adds a Russian ending to a foreign root) or phonetically, when children have difficulty making separate sounds or one of the languages sounds with an accent.
At an older age, language interference can lead to difficulties with reading and writing.
How can I help my child cope with the language load?
Try to systematize the study of both languages and pay attention to the development of speech in each of them. And if you want to understand exactly what to pay attention to in your case, contact us for a diagnosis. Meeting with a speech therapist will help you find vulnerabilities in your child's speech development and learn ways to correct them.
At the Kandinsky Clinic, a speech therapist conducts individual consultations and online meetings aimed at helping children and adults who are faced with any speech difficulties.
The Kandinsky Clinic uses a multidisciplinary approach that takes into account all aspects of speech development, including psychological, physiological and social factors.
An integrated approach to each patient provides an individual treatment and support plan, which is especially important for bilingual children facing a dual language load.
If you want to help your child overcome speech difficulties or face similar problems yourself, make an appointment for a consultation at the Kandinsky Clinic. We will help you gain confidence in communication and unlock the potential of your speech.