Using more than one language with my baby

Using more than one language with my baby

Many children grow up hearing, and then communicating in, more than one language. This might happen in families with adults who speak multiple languages and in families in which the language used at home is different than the one used by other people in the broader community.

Whatever the reason, children who are exposed to more than one language eventually can become fluent and will be able to tell languages apart. Just like children who speak only one language, those who speak two or more languages need lots of “input”. This means that people speaking to young children in each language should communicate regularly, in a variety of natural situations. The children also need to be in situations where they have to use each language to communicate with other people who speak it. The videos below show examples of different ways to expose children to multiple languages that can be done at any age.

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Caregivers

- My baby hears more than one language

7 - 12

months - Using basic signs

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Age 1

- When children hear more than one language

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Age 3

- Using two languages at the same time

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