bilingualism
Knowledge, trivia and more
Does bilingualism cause language delay?
FALSE. While the vocabulary of a bilingual child in each individual language it may be smaller than average, its total vocabulary (of both languages) will be at least the same size as a monolingual child. Bilingual children may say their first words a little later than monolingual children, but still within the normal age range (between 8 and 15 months).
And when bilingual children start producing short sentences, they develop grammar along the same standards and timeframes as children learning a language. Bilingualism itself does not cause language delay. An bilingual child who is demonstrating significant delays in language milestones may have a language disorder and should be seen by a speech pathologist.
Some benefits of bilingualism
Bilingual children are better able to focus their attention on relevant information and ignore distractions Bilingual individuals have been shown to be more creative and better at planning and solving complex problems than monolinguals.
The effects of aging on the brain diminish among bilingual adults.
In one study, dementia onset was delayed by 4 years in bilinguals compared to monolinguals with dementia.
Bilingual individuals have greater access to people and resources.
The cognitive advantages of bilingualism (eg increased attention, problem solving, etc.) seem to be related