{"id":6805,"date":"2025-12-02T11:45:53","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T09:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/myths-and-legends-about-bilingualism\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T11:16:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T09:16:53","slug":"myths-and-legends-about-bilingualism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/myths-and-legends-about-bilingualism\/","title":{"rendered":"Myths and legends about bilingualism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you speak more than one language and have children, you\u2019ve probably received plenty of advice and warnings about <strong>raising bilingual kids<\/strong>. And usually, it\u2019s the least knowledgeable people who feel most entitled to give that (very unsolicited) advice. <br>Here are just a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Here are just a few examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you speak your language at home, you\u2019ll confuse your child<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You must wait until your child speaks the first language well before introducing the second<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s enough to \u201cjust speak your language\u201d to them<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each parent must speak only their own language<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>And I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard it all! Spoiler: <strong>none of these beliefs has any scientific basis<\/strong>.<br>The most unfortunate part is that these ideas sometimes come from professionals we trust \u2014 doctors, teachers, educators \u2014 who may be experts in their own field but are not specialists in bilingual child development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s break down these myths one by one, using what <strong>science<\/strong> tells us \u2014 along with insights from working directly with many multilingual families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What science says about raising a bilingual family<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is it true that bilingualism slows down language development?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, even among monolingual children, there are significant differences in how and when language develops.<br>Scientific data show that <strong>bilingual children may start speaking slightly later,<\/strong> but they quickly catch up in both languages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the past, people counted only the words a child knew in one language and concluded that bilingual children were \u201cbehind.\u201d But this kind of analysis makes no sense: today, speech therapists count all the words a child uses \u2014 in every language spoken at home.<br>For example, <em>gatto<\/em>, <em>cat<\/em>, and <em>Katze<\/em> are all part of the child\u2019s total vocabulary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Le valutazioni fatte in questo modo nell\u2019ambito di un gran numero di studi dimostrano che crescere con pi\u00f9 lingue non rallenta affatto lo sviluppo cognitivo e pi\u00f9 in generale confermano quanto segue:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Evaluations carried out in this way across large numbers of studies demonstrate that growing up with more than one language does not slow cognitive development in any way.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>On the contrary, numerous benefits of bilingualism are well documented, enriching a child\u2019s mind, culture, and relationships.<br><strong>In short<\/strong>, a bilingual child goes through slower and faster phases (just like monolingual children), but they manage multiple languages without confusion. And that brings us to the next myth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do children get confused when exposed to more than one language?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer is NO. From the prenatal period onward, babies are already able to distinguish between the sounds of the language spoken by their mother and the sounds of another language. <strong> The ability to learn one or more languages is innate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children who grow up in an environment where several languages are spoken simultaneously do not struggle \u2014 they acquire them naturally and without confusion. For them, people who speak different languages have different characteristics, such as distinct voices, gestures, or facial expressions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to some estimates, more than half of the world\u2019s population actively uses at least two languages in daily life. Think of countries like Switzerland, where in many cantons it\u2019s completely normal to speak French, German, and Italian every day \u2014 both at home and outside the home. The same is true in Belgium, Spain, and even in parts of Italy such as Valle d\u2019Aosta and Alto Adige.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside Europe, this is even more common. In many countries in Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Australia, native languages have been spoken alongside the languages introduced through colonization for centuries.<br>Speaking three, four, or even five languages is not unusual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For billions of people, using multiple languages every day is simply normal, and none of these people grew up confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>A bilingual child is not a confused child \u2014 A bilingual child is a very lucky child!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should we wait until our child speaks their first language well before introducing the second?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, the answer is NO. It\u2019s ideal to expose children to a <strong>second language as early as possible<\/strong>, because in early childhood their ability to <em>acquire<\/em> languages is at its highest.<br>Waiting risks turning natural language acquisition into \u201cstudy,\u201d making the process less spontaneous and more tiring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start now, with small steps: nursery rhymes, songs, playtime moments, or reading together in the second language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not sure how to structure language exposure in your family, explore my <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/consulente-per-famiglie-multilingua\/consulenze\/\">personalized coaching for multilingual families<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So, is it enough to simply speak two languages to a child for them to become bilingual?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Exposing a child to two languages is essential \u2014 but it\u2019s not enough on its own.<br>Children need <strong>balanced linguistic input<\/strong>, with adequate <strong>quality and variety<\/strong>. The parent who speaks the minority language plays a crucial role: they must create opportunities that <strong>motivate the child to interact<\/strong> in that language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the child receives more input in the local language \u2014 the one spoken at preschool, at the park, and at the supermarket \u2014 that language can easily become dominant and the child\u2019s preferred language.<br>The key is to <strong>balance<\/strong> this by bringing the minority language into playtime, reading, and everyday activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is exactly one of the pillars of the LingFLoWS\u00ae method, which helps families find their own linguistic balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re trying but struggling to stay consistent, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/consulente-per-famiglie-multilingua\/consulenze\/\">contact me for a free discovery session<\/a><\/strong>.<br>Together, we can create a sustainable strategy for your multilingual family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is the \u201cone person, one language\u201d method the only way to raise a bilingual child?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There isn\u2019t a single recipe that works for all families, but the <strong>OPOL method (One Person, One Language)<\/strong> is one approach that can work very well. Each parent speaks only their own language with the child. If the family context allows for it \u2014 and both parents feel comfortable with this arrangement \u2014 it\u2019s an excellent method that can definitely lead to the desired results.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>But what if the OPOL method doesn\u2019t work for my family?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re the only person in the family passing on the minority language \u2014 and you also speak the local language very well \u2014 the OPOL method might actually make things harder for you. Your child knows perfectly well that you understand both languages, and they may feel that speaking your language is being \u201cforced.\u201d But you don\u2019t need to use the same language always or 100% of the time. You can choose <strong>dedicated moments<\/strong> \u2014 for example, evening reading time or weekend playtime \u2014 to use the minority language in a natural, enjoyable way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not sure where to start? <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/consulente-per-famiglie-multilingua\/consulenze\/\">Book a free session with me<\/a><\/strong> and discover which approach might work best for your family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you speak more than one language and have children, you\u2019ve probably received plenty of advice and warnings about raising bilingual kids. And usually, it\u2019s the least knowledgeable people who feel most entitled to give that advice (often unsolicited, too). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5090,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[97,94],"class_list":["post-6805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-multilingual-family-coach","tag-article-eng","tag-consulente-per-famiglie-multilingue-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Myths and legends about bilingualism - Nicole Maina<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the myths about bilingualism in children and how to raise multilingual children in a natural and peaceful way.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Myths and legends about bilingualism - Nicole Maina\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover the myths about bilingualism in children and how to raise multilingual children in a natural and peaceful way.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nicole Maina\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-02T09:45:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-04T09:16:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/relazioni-e-parole.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"be2be\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"be2be\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/\",\"name\":\"Myths and legends about bilingualism - Nicole Maina\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/relazioni-e-parole.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-02T09:45:53+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-04T09:16:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a7b653706f0364ec2ab9be12d6ddb1c4\"},\"description\":\"Discover the myths about bilingualism in children and how to raise multilingual children in a natural and peaceful way.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/relazioni-e-parole.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/relazioni-e-parole.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":853},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Myths and legends about bilingualism\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/\",\"name\":\"Nicole Maina\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a7b653706f0364ec2ab9be12d6ddb1c4\",\"name\":\"be2be\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/avatar_user_1_1645778142-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/avatar_user_1_1645778142-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"be2be\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/nicolemaina.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Myths and legends about bilingualism - Nicole Maina","description":"Discover the myths about bilingualism in children and how to raise multilingual children in a natural and peaceful way.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Myths and legends about bilingualism - Nicole Maina","og_description":"Discover the myths about bilingualism in children and how to raise multilingual children in a natural and peaceful way.","og_url":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/","og_site_name":"Nicole Maina","article_published_time":"2025-12-02T09:45:53+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-04T09:16:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":853,"url":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/relazioni-e-parole.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"be2be","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"be2be","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/","url":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/","name":"Myths and legends about bilingualism - Nicole Maina","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/relazioni-e-parole.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-02T09:45:53+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-04T09:16:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a7b653706f0364ec2ab9be12d6ddb1c4"},"description":"Discover the myths about bilingualism in children and how to raise multilingual children in a natural and peaceful way.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/relazioni-e-parole.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/relazioni-e-parole.jpg","width":1280,"height":853},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/de\/mythen-und-legenden-rund-um-die-mehrsprachigkeit\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Myths and legends about bilingualism"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/","name":"Nicole Maina","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a7b653706f0364ec2ab9be12d6ddb1c4","name":"be2be","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/avatar_user_1_1645778142-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/avatar_user_1_1645778142-96x96.jpg","caption":"be2be"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/nicolemaina.com"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6805"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6853,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6805\/revisions\/6853"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nicolemaina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}