Bilingual kids

Family bilingualism models and age milestones

Models

  • OPOL — one person, one language

    Each parent consistently speaks their own language. Works if both are disciplined.

  • MLAH — minority language at home

    The whole family speaks the minority language at home, majority language outside.

  • Time and place

    The second language is tied to rituals: bedtime stories, weekends, grandparents.

Age milestones

  • •0–3 years: language bath — both languages simultaneously, no alternation
  • •3–6: code-mixing is normal, don't demand purity
  • •6–10: reading in both, support minority language with books
  • •10+: motivation via interests — content, friends, travel

Bilingualism does not delay speech — that's a myth. Delay is possible only with insufficient input (under ~20% of time). The key factor is quality and regularity of contact, not the number of languages. A child may stay silent in the minority language for a long time — that's passive knowledge, not refusal.