All families should feel supported to raise their children to celebrate their culture through learning their home language, rather than suppressing it.

Some parents are told to speak only one language so they don’t confuse their child. This is a myth. There is no evidence that children, even those with disabilities or language delays, will be negatively affected if they hear more than one language at home.

It is important to teach your child to speak the language you speak best, even if your best language is not English. This is because children learn best when parents can speak to them in full sentences with lots of words. Having a good foundation in your home language makes it easier for them to learn English.  

If you are concerned that your child is taking longer than expected to learn words in either language, please visit the Speech Pathology page on The Grove Academy’s website. Here you will find some helpful tips as well as contact details for our Speech Pathology team.

Some helpful links to find more information:

Supporting multilingual childrens communication development (speechpathologyaustralia.org.au)

https://www.nsw.gov.au/health/wnswlhd/services/speech-pathology/multilingual-resources

Multilingual & bilingual children: tips | Raising Children Network